White Jasmine
by Storywriter8897
Summary: My OC is Princess Liling, which translates to 'white jasmine', a type of tea, and is the daughter of General Iroh. She has ebony hair and bright golden eyes and is an incredibly talented firebender who can also skillfully wield lightning. She willingly goes into exile with Iroh and Zuko to help them find the Avatar and restore Zuko's honor. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

My character, Princess Liling, whose name translates to 'sound of the white jasmine'. She is the daughter of General Iroh. She has pale, white hair and bright blue eyes and is an incredibly talented firebender who can also skillfully wield lightning and lava. She willingly goes into exile with Iroh and Zuko to help them find the Avatar and restore Zuko's honor.

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 **Chapter 1: Setting Sail**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC

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Lightning clashed with lightning as the sound of grass frying and laughter filled the air. "Nice try, Azula, but you'll have to try harder than that to beat the daughter of _the_ Dragon of the West!" Liling shouted, pulling out of the pose she had struck upon dodging yet another ball of lightning.

"You mean daughter of the man who _lost_ during the siege of Ba Sing Se? I wouldn't be comparing myself to a loser if I were you." Azula retorted as her hair was nearly singed by a well thrown lightning strike.

"He lost only one of his hundreds of battles. I'm honored you'd compare to me to a man of such achievements." Liling replied, simply ducking out of the way of the blow Azula aimed at her. Rather than return the blow, she continued to dance out of the way of Azula's blows.

"Of course you would say that. He's nothing more than a coward. After all, he did retreat." Azula taunted with a smirk.

"A man who knows he's been beaten and retreats is smarter than any man who knows he's been beaten and continues to fight. Maybe you should take this advice." With that, Liling swept Azula's feet out from under her and pointed her lightning lit hand at her neck.

Azula glowered up at her for a moment before breaking into a smile. Liling unlit her hand and held it out to Azula who gladly took it and was helped to her feet. "It's nice to finally be given a challenge by somebody around here."

"I wasn't trained at the Royal Fire Nation Academy for Girls for nothing." Liling modestly replied, dusting herself off, before adding as an afterthought, "And you're not so bad yourself."

The two beamed at each other when a messenger rushed into the courtyard. He bowed before announcing "Princess Liling, Princess Azula, General Iroh's ship is pulling into the harbor as we speak." Liling grinned gleefully while Azula glowered.

Not sparing her sparring partner a second glace, Liling raced off towards the beach, literally bouncing off the walls to increase her speed. Guards who got in her way were completely outmatched and toppled over. Arriving at the docks, she saw the familiar figure of her father and quickly enveloped him in a hug, pressing her face against his chest. Iroh wrapped his arms around her in reply and the two silently hugged her. After the hug, the two pulled apart and looked each other in the eye, tears glistening from them. Holding them back, Liling pushed her head back into his chest.

Iroh smiled slightly and suggested "Let's head inside. First order of business is to make a nice cup of tea."

This got Liling to smile. "I actually started brewing a pot of white jasmine tea upon hearing of your arrival."

Iroh reciprocated the smile and said "That's my girl." The two walked towards Iroh's chambers, Iroh shooing away his fellow soldiers and guards, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder. Once in his chambers, Iroh shut the door behind them as Liling picked up a kettle from the fire and poured two cups of tea, handing one to Iroh. He smiled appreciatively at her and took a long drawl. "Ah." he moaned happily, smacking his lips. Upon opening his eyes to look down on his daughter, he noticed a pained look on her face.

"He's really gone, isn't he?" Without her having to say his name, Iroh knew she was talking about Lu Ten, Iroh's deceased son and Liling's deceased brother. She looked into his eyes and continued "I know he is but I _feel_ like he's going to just show up any minute. It's crazy, I know, but I can't just accept that my brother, one of the greatest firebenders on the planet, is dead."

"I know it's hard to accept he's gone. I'm sorry he's gone." Iroh replied, reaching for her hand.

"No. Don't apologize. It's not your fault and I'll never think it was. Azula's blaming you enough for the both of us." Liling mumbled bitterly.

"Azula?" Iroh mused, thoughtfully stroking his beard.

With a disgruntled sigh, Liling explained "She believes you to be a disgraceful coward for retreating from Ba Sing Se. We were sparring and I know she was simply attempting to bait me, but it worked. It infuriates me the way your brother and his family treats you so poorly. And the fact that he was made ruler of the Fire Nation even though you were next in line baffles me. You don't know how awful it was being here without you."

Iroh had been frowning but after the last bit, he smiled. Scooting closer to his daughter, he informed her "I was actually planning on going on another trip soon. Would you be interested in joining?"

"Anything to get me out of here." Liling sighed gratefully. "When are we going?"

"Tonight."

"And why?"

At that, Iroh glanced away. Gently, Liling placed the tips of her fingers against his cheek and turned his face towards her own. "Your cousin Prince Zuko has been banished by his father. He may not return home. And since I'm not very welcome here, I've decided to go into exile with him."

Liling had not been expecting that. "What? Why was he exiled?"

"He… spoke out of turn at a war council meeting so his father challenged him to a duel. Zuko refused to fight so he was scarred and thusly banished." Iroh said, heaving a sullen sigh.

"Zuko…" Liling mournfully trailed off. Shaking her head as though to clear it, she said "I don't care why he's banished, even though that's a horrible reason. I'm coming with you. I won't be separated from you ever again."

"Never again." Iroh agreed, hugging her. The two pulled apart after a moment and polished off the tea.

Setting her cup aside, Liling proposed "I suppose we should get packed if we're indeed leaving tonight."

"Of course. I'll leave you to your packing." Iroh replied, taking leave of the room.

As he pushed back the curtain, Liling pulled out a rucksack and filled it with several outfits, as well as a couple provisions in cause they needed to make a quick escape. Looking around the room, her eyes fell on a picture of her brother. Choking back a sob, she grabbed the picture and hugged it to her chest. After a moment, she rolled up the picture and slid it into a side pocket of her bag. She was shouldering her bag when a voice called "And just where do you think you're going?"

Turning around, she saw Azula. "Azula. So nice of you to drop by. Won't you come in?" Liling greeted, denoting to the empty space Azula was welcome to fill.

She haughtily pushed the curtain out of the way and demanded yet again "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving with Iroh. We've decided to go into exile with Zuko." Liling explained, adjusting the strap on her bag.

Azula looked astonished. Placing her hand on top of Liling's, she pleaded "I can understand Uncle going with Zuzu but why are you? Liling, you're a great bender. Stick with me and we can crush the other nations."

Liling looked away from Azula as she replied "Azula, you're my best friend, but Iroh needs me." Sparing a glance at Azula, Liling caught her glower, and added "Besides, you don't need my help. Not like Iroh anyway. I mean, he did just lose a major battle, did he not? But you, Azula, you will never lose. Please allow me to leave with him."

Azula pondered this request for a moment, Liling unconsciously chewing on her lip as she waited for the dreaded reply. After a moment, Azula laughed. "You're right, the old fool does need your help. You're probably the second best firebender here, right after me of course. So go. But you know Zuko's never coming back, right?"

"What do you mean he's never coming back?" Liling interjected.

Azula scoffed. "You mean Uncle didn't tell you? Zuko can only return home if he finds the Avatar."

"But the Avatar hasn't been seen for a hundred years!"

Azula smirked. "That's the point. So you make sure you don't end up stuck with him. You'll be welcome whenever you decide to come back, the sooner the better, I might add."

"Azula…" Liling trailed off but was cut off.

"No, I know what you're going to say but there's no need. You're welcome." With an eye roll, Azula pulled Liling into a hug. Liling gladly returned the hug, which ended just as quickly as it began. Azula gripped her by the shoulders, pushed her back, and said "You should go. Your ship will be leaving soon."

Liling's face softened as she replied "Good bye, Azula. I know we'll be reunited soon." Liling hugged her tightly before making her way to Iroh's room. Azula watched her go before heading off in the opposite direction.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Successful Introductions**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

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Once she'd arrived at Iroh's room, she pushed back the curtain and let herself in. "Iroh," she began, "I've finished packing and am ready to embark on our quest to find the Avatar."

Iroh, taken aback, asked "How did you find out?"

"Azula told me when we were saying our goodbyes." she informed him, looking him straight in the eye, as though challenging him in regards to why he hadn't told her this crucial detail earlier.

"Of course she did." Iroh said with a sigh.

"Why didn't you tell me about the Avatar?" Liling asked suddenly.

Pensively stroking his beard, Iroh honestly replied "I didn't think it was important."

Apparently this wasn't the answer Liling wanted because she furiously cried "What? You didn't think mentioning that Zuko could return home only if he found the Avatar was important?"

Unabashed, Iroh retorted "No I didn't. It's an impossible task and will most probably not be accomplished."

Liling nodded slowly and allowed "I suppose you're right as always, Iroh. As long as we're there to support Zuko, whatever else may or may not happen is irrelevant, especially considering how strongly he needs guidance and strong council."

"You're learning well, daughter." Iroh said with a large grin.

"Well I learned from the best." Liling admitted, smiling back at him.

At that, Iroh laughed. "You flatter me."

Suddenly two soldiers walked through the curtain flap. "General Iroh, Princess Liling, Prince Zuko's ship is departing shortly. Please come with us."

Iroh picked up his bag with a grunt and heaved it on his back. He offered his arm to Liling, who wrapped her own around his, and the two boarded Zuko's warship. They walked into the barracks and made their way towards Zuko's quarters. "Prince Zuko?" Iroh called out.

"Uncle? Is that you?" called a voice from inside. It was Zuko.

Iroh turned to Liling and said "Try not to stare at his face." before walking inside. Liling took a deep breath before following him inside.

"Uncle! What are you doing here?" Zuko cried, wrapping his arms around Iroh.

Iroh enveloped him in his arms and said "I'm coming with you to help you look for the Avatar."

Zuko was so touched he could only say "Uncle… thank you."

After a moment, the two pulled apart. Iroh turned away from Zuko and motioned for Liling to walk over. "Zuko, I trust you remember my daughter, Liling?"

As Zuko turned towards her, she bowed and said "Prince Zuko" in greeting.

"Not anymore I'm not." Zuko replied softly, looking away from her.

She placed a hand on his shoulder and said "To me, you'll always be. We'll help you find the Avatar and restore your honor."

Zuko smiled slightly at her and said "Thank you, Princess Liling."

Liling snorted slightly and said "I believe that's Azula's, and only Azula's, title now."

At that, Zuko's face hardened as he replied "You're just as much a princess as she is."

It was Liling's turn to smile appreciatively at him. "Thank you, Zuko. Now should we go meet our crew?"

"That would be ideal." Zuko replied nervously. The three of them left the barracks and walked onto the roof of the ship where all the soldiers had a perfect view of them.

"You need to give an inspiring speech. To these soldiers, you are an exile. You need to show them you are so much more. A future prince who must be treated with respect." Iroh instructed helpfully.

Zuko nodded appreciatively and said "You're right, Uncle."

"If you get stuck, we'll be right beside you to help you out." Liling added encouragingly.

Zuko smiled at them, took a deep breath, and walked forward. Clearing his throat, he got the attention of the fire nation troops that had been assigned to him. They looked up at him, awaiting orders. Clearing his throat yet again, he said "My fellow members of the Fire Nation! Today, we embark on a journey unlike any other. We go forth into the world in search of an enemy that has alluded the Fire Nation for the past century; the Avatar! We will capture him and bring him back to my Father, Fire Lord Ozai, and put an end to the cycle once and for all!" This was met with cheering. By the end of it, the troops all felt very inspired and very loyal to Zuko. They were chanting his name as Iroh and Liling approached him.

"You were very moving, Prince Zuko. You have the makings of a fine ruler." Iroh commented.

Bowing slightly, Liling added "I agree with Iroh. You have their utmost loyalty. Our journey should be most successful if you keep it up."

Zuko took in their compliments, something he had rarely received before then, and said "Thank you, both of you." The three of them bowed at each other.

"Now, first order of business. Where are we going to search for the Avatar first?" Liling inquired, pulling out of her bow.

"Given that the Avatar was born an airbender, I want to search the temples of the air nomads first. If we can't find him there, we'll scour the globe if we have to, but we will not stop looking until we have him as our prisoner." Zuko instructed readily. He had done much planning for the quest already and was eager to find the Avatar as soon as possible so that he may return home.

"But the Avatar has been away in hiding for over a century. It stands to reason that in that time he would have already become a master in water, earth, and firebending as well. Because of this, it would take a major army just to hold him for a small period of time. What are we supposed to do if it comes to a battle?" Liling pondered aloud, wondering if they could stand a chance.

"Liling, we are on board with some of the finest Fire Nation troops in the world. Not to mention myself, Uncle, and you, three of the great fire benders in existence." Zuko told her, not about to feel hopeless. If he gave into despair now, there was no way he could ever hope of finding the ever allusive Avatar.

Seeing the sense in what he was saying, Liling nodded. "You're right. We shouldn't sell ourselves too short just yet. Not only are you inspiring, Prince Zuko, but you're very wise. When we capture the Avatar and you restore your honor with your father and succeed him on the throne, you'll make an excellent ruler."

"I'll make a better one as long as you're by my side." Zuko told her, making Liling blush.

Iroh happily watched the exchange. There was only one thing that could make this moment any better: tea. As his daughter and nephew continued to plot and plan, Iroh began brewing a pot of white jasmine, his favorite tea. He loved that tea so much that he named his only daughter after it. As it finished boiling, Iroh took his attention away from the teenager's conversation and poured the tea before distributing the cups.

"You know, in some cultures they serve tea cold with ice cubes floating in it, and an extreme addition of sugar." Liling informed them.

Iroh grimaced and said "Though I try to respect all cultures, how anyone could be so misguided about how to properly drink tea is beyond me."

Zuko and Liling laughed at Iroh's expense. Seeing his nephew laugh and smile after being permanently scarred and exiled made Iroh feel light. For the time being he didn't care what happened, so long as he could keep Zuko happy and from meeting the same fate as his own son.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Restoring Honor**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

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 **Thank you everyone for your super kind reviews of my story so far! I've cherished reading all of them and appreciate them, the follows, and the favorites more than you know. I'll try to update at least once a week from now on. Thank you again and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

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A radiant beam of light erupted into the sky, creating a dazzling display for the crew. "The Avatar." Zuko hissed before turning towards Liling and Iroh, the two of whom were engaged in a heated match of Pai Sho. "He's the only one who could have created an energy source powerful enough to generate that light source."

"Prince Zuko, you must consider an alternative. The Avatar has been missing for over a century. That light source may not have come from him." Iroh pointed out, not looking up from his game.

"I have to agree with Iroh. I'm usually a tea cup half full kind of person, but this time the realist approach is the most logical. It might have simply been a water tribe running amuck." Liling added as she laid down another piece.

Iroh frowned in concentration, preparing to make his next move as Zuko shouted "Helmsman! Set a course for that island! I have some honor to restore." The ship began speeding up as it headed for the mainland.

The Pai Sho board made to tilt over but Liling flicked out her wrist, stilling the board. "Nice reflexes," Iroh commented appreciatively, sliding another piece forward. "You're learning well."

"I had an excellent teacher." Liling replied absentmindedly before stealing one of his pieces.

"Hmph. Maybe you should have just the board fall over after all." Iroh retorted, rescinding his previous comment.

"I would still be winning, whether we started over or not." Liling cockily replied as the boat touched down onto the shore.

"Enough talk. Are you two coming with me?" Zuko inquired, storming over to where they sat.

Liling scoffed. "To beat an old man and a pitiful village of non-benders? I think you've got this, Zuko."

"While you regain your honor by capturing the Avatar, I need to regain mine by beating my daughter at Pai Sho." Iroh said as Liling laughed.

"You couldn't beat me even if I actually left with Zuko and didn't play this next round."

"So does that mean you're coming with me?" Zuko perked up.

"Oh, no, I can't do that. I play to win and I intend to do so again." Liling said, waving him away as they finished resetting the game.

"Fine. Everyone else, come with me. We're hunting the Avatar." With a flourish, Zuko stormed off the ship, followed by half a dozen Fire Nation troops.

"Have fun!" Liling called after them. When they left, she turned back to the game and said "I believe a celebratory pot of tea is in order upon their return."

Iroh beamed and placed a hand on top of hers. "I have taught you well. Very well indeed." The two stood up and put on a kettle of tea, awaiting Zuko's return with the infamous Avatar.

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At the sound of approaching footsteps, Liling and Iroh quickly scrambled to their feet, respectfully standing as they awaited the presence of Zuko and the Avatar. What they saw surprised him. Zuko climbed aboard with a little boy. He couldn't have been older than twelve. As they climbed aboard, Zuko ripped the staff from the boy and handed it to Liling and Iroh. "Take this to my chambers while the guards take Avatar below deck."

Liling rolled her eyes and Iroh took the staff and handed it to a nearby guard, saying "Take this to his chambers." He and Liling watched the Avatar depart before escorting themselves to their own chambers. Yawning, Iroh said "I'm going to go take a nap."

"Getting beaten twice in a row at Pai Sho really must be exhausting." Liling replied, getting the curtain for her father. He chose to ignore that comment and bowed to her before entering his room. She let the curtain fall before heading off to her own where she poured herself a cup of tea and stretched out on her bed. After the cup was nearly emptied, Liling began dozing off.

Suddenly her curtain was flung open by a frantic looking bald boy whom she recognized to be the Avatar. Her eyes popped open as her drowsiness receded. "Oops. Wrong room." He said before dashing away, quickly followed by six Fire Nation troops.

Looking from them to her tea cup, she drained the last of her tea, deciding it was time to end Iroh's nap. She flung herself from her bed, setting her tea cup aside, and flew into Iroh's room. She found him sound asleep and snoring loudly. Liling was half tempted to let him sleep but knew he would have wanted her to wake him had the Avatar successfully managed to escape. "Iroh, the Avatar is loose! We must get to the top of the ship and hinder his escape." Liling shouted. Iroh spluttered and fell out of bed. Liling rushed to his side and helped him stand. "We must get above deck." she repeated before running outside the room, Iroh close behind, running as fast as possible to keep up with his daughter.

However, they arrived to see the Avatar escape on a giant flying bison. Turning around, she saw Zuko attempting to climb back up the ship. Liling hoisted back on deck as he shouted "Shoot them down." The two of them, along with Iroh, sent their most powerful fire blasts up at the bison. However, it neatly dodged the gold and blue flames. The flames came into contact with a cliff made of ice, causing it to fall into the boat.

Iroh burst into laughter and said "The Fire Lord will be very happy to hear that the Fire Nation's greatest enemy is nothing more than a little boy."

"Uncle, this little kid just did this to our ship," Zuko said, denoting to how the ship was now buried in ice and snow. "I will not be underestimating him again." Kicking a chunk of ice he ordered "I want everyone digging out the ship! Just as soon as everyone gets thawed out." He added the last part as an afterthought, gazing at the still frozen crew.

"Nothing gets rid of ice like fire. I'd say it's time we heat things up." Liling interjected, her hands lighting up with blue fire. With a powerful cry she launched a massive fireball at the ice, causing it to immediately melt and turn into steam. She turned back towards Iroh and Zuko, smirking, and blew on her finger tip, causing the last bit of fire to go out.

Zuko blinked before shouting "Let's go!" This request would have been readily met except the crew was still frozen. "Fine. Finish thawing." Zuko muttered in defeat.

Liling placed a hand on his shoulder and said "At least we now know the Avatar is alive. Let's take a small break, come up with a winning strategy, and then go after the Avatar. Let's go below deck and enjoy a cup of hot tea."

"Ugh. Like father like daughter." Zuko muttered bitterly, but accepted nonetheless, after all, Liling was correct in one aspect. The Avatar was alive and it was only a matter of time before he would be captured.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Agni Kai**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

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Their battered ship pulled along the side of the other ships docked near Commander Zhao's fleet. As Zuko, Iroh, and Liling emerged, Zuko said "I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay too long and risk losing his trail."

"You mean the Avatar?" Iroh inquired, turning to look at him.

Zuko, turning on his uncle angrily, whispered "Don't mention his name on these docks! Once word gets out that he's alive every firebender will be out looking for him and I don't want anyone getting in the way."

Suddenly a voice inquired "Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?"

Liling, Zuko, and Iroh turn to face the source of the voice with somewhat surprised expressions. "Captain Zhao." Zuko greeted with clear distaste.

Zhao smirked as he replied "It's Commander now. And General Iroh," he paused, turning towards Iroh and bowing, "Great hero of our nation."

"Retired general." Iroh modestly replied, dismissively waving him off.

Zhao nodded towards Iroh, acknowledging his comment before turning to Liling and bowing to her. "Princess Liling. Such an honor." Liling bowed towards him in reply, respectfully acknowledging his new status. "The Fire Lord's brother, son, and niece are welcome guests any time. What brings you to my harbor?" Zhao innocently inquired.

"Our ship is being repaired." Liling explained, denoting to their ship which was incredibly dented and battered in appearance.

Zhao's eyes squinted as he assessed the damage before saying "That's quite a bit of damage." He was clearly curious as to the origin of said damage.

"Yes... you wouldn't believe what happened." Zuko began, giving Iroh a sideways glance and immediately passes the burden of creating a story on the spot to him. "Uncle! Tell Commander Zhao what happened."

Iroh's eyes go wide and he blinks in response to the burden Zuko has just placed on him. "Yes, I will do that. It was incredible." Iroh exclaims. He opens his mouth to continue but is at a loss for ideas. He leans over and whispers to Zuko "What, did we crash or something?"

Zuko, clearly uncomfortable, suddenly fills in for him. "Uh, yes! Right into an Earth Kingdom ship."

Zhao senses they aren't telling the entire truth. "Really? You must regale me with all the thrilling details." He smiles and puts his face right up to Zuko's in an obvious challenge. "Join me for a drink?"

Refusing to back down, Zuko retorted "Sorry, but we have to go." Zuko turns to leave, but Iroh places a hand on his shoulder and stops him.

"Prince Zuko, show Commander Zhao your respect." Iroh commanded of him. He then turned to Zhao and added "We would be honored to join you. Do you have any ginseng tea? It's my favorite." Zuko growls in frustration and releases fire from his fists angrily as he turns to follow Zhao and Iroh down the dock. Trying to assuage his anger, Liling intertwined their fingers and gently squeezed his hand. Zuko stared at their fingers before continuing to follow Iroh and Zhao.

* * *

Commander Zhao stands with his back to the trio, inspecting a large map of the world upon the wall. He slowly backs away and says "And by year's end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule." Turning to face Zuko, he adds "The Fire Lord will finally claim victory in this war."

Zuko snapped. "If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool."

Zhao takes a seat next to Zuko and says "Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue." He pauses briefly before interlocking his fingers and inquiring "So, how is your search for the Avatar going?"

At the word 'Avatar', Iroh tips over the stand of weapons he has been examining. The commotion brings the conversation to a halt. Iroh cringes at the mess he has just made as Liling rushes to help him straighten the fallen weapons as Iroh embarrassingly says "My fault entirely." He sheepishly backs out of Zhao's line of sight.

"We haven't found him yet." Zuko says suddenly, getting Zhao to look away from Iroh and Liling.

It worked. Zhao turned to Zuko and asks airily "Did you really expect to? The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the airbenders." Zuko averts his eyes guiltily. Zhao, suddenly looking eager, adds "Unless you found some evidence that the Avatar is alive."

Zuko, still looking away, says "No. Nothing."

Zhao, rising from his chair, stares down at Zuko and says "Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found." By the end of his threat, his face is right in front of Zuko's.

Zuko defiantly stares him down and repeats "I haven't found anything. It's like you said. The Avatar probably died a long time ago. Come on, Uncle, Liling, we're going." Zuko gets up and tries to exit, but he is blocked by the guards as they cross their spears in front of him. Another guard approaches Zhao to deliver his report.

"Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape." The guard reported.

Zhao turned to look at Zuko and, smirking, began "Now, remind me… how exactly was your ship damaged?"

Zuko doesn't reply as he looks down in defeat. Liling and Iroh exchanged worried glances, looking from Zhao to Zuko and back. This would not end well.

Zhao crosses in front of a seated and clearly unhappy Prince Zuko. A pair of guards stand behind the young prince. "So, a twelve-year-old boy bested you, your Uncle, your cousin and your firebenders? You're more pathetic than I thought."

"I underestimated him once, but it will not happen again." Zuko defiantly replied.

Zhao chuckled darkly before informing him "No, it will not, because you won't have a second chance."

Alarmed, Zuko interjected "Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years and I…"

Zhao turns on him angrily, flames erupting from his hand as he sweeps it in an arc from left to right. "And you failed!" he hissed. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now."

Zuko launches himself at Zhao in frustration and anger, but he is restrained by the two guards standing behind his chair.

Zhao turns to the guards as he turns to leave and instructs. "Keep them here."

Zuko in an act of frustration kicks over a small table that had been sitting near Iroh, causing it to shatter into pieces.

Iroh calmly scoots away from the broken fragments and simply asks of the guards "More tea please?"

* * *

Zhao approaches the exterior of the large tent, opens the flaps and enters. Two guards standing ready inside the entrance draw their spears back. "My search party is ready. Once I'm out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship and you'll be free to go."

"Why? Are you worried I'm going to try and stop you?" Zuko taunted haughtily.

Zhao burst out laughing in response. "You? Stop me? Impossible."

Zuko stands in defiance. "Don't underestimate me, Zhao. I will capture the Avatar before you."

Iroh stands as well and orders "Prince Zuko, that's enough!"

Liling rose to her feet as well and implored of him "Really Zuko, please calm down."

Zhao waved them off as he cockily commented "You can't compete with me. I have hundreds of warships under my command, and you... you're just a banished prince. No home. No allies. Your own father doesn't even want you."

Zuko quivered with rage as he shouted "You're wrong. Once I deliver the Avatar to my father he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne."

"If your father really wanted you home, he'd have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar, but in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation." Zhao scathingly remarked.

Zuko felt like the wind had been knocked out of his lungs as he cried out "That's not true."

Zhao airily glanced at his nails before saying "You have the scar to prove it."

Zuko, with a cry of indignation, launches himself to his feet, bringing his face within inches of Zhao's. "Maybe you'd like one to match!"

"Is that a challenge?" Zhao asked, his calm, snarky demeanor fading.

"An Agni Kai. At sunset." Zuko simply challenged. This elicited a shake of the head from Iroh and a face palming from Liling.

"Very well. It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle and cousin will do." Zhao snaps before turning and walking back out of the tent.

Iroh slowly approaches him and asks "Prince Zuko, have you forgotten what happened last time you dueled a master?" At that, Liling glared at him, wondering what would possess Iroh to mention Zuko's greatest defeat at a time such as now.

However, Zuko remained unphased. All he had to say was "I will never forget."

* * *

Zhao, Zuko, Iroh, Liling, and a handful of guards stand in a Fire Nation arena, which is nothing more than a simple four-walled structure with watch fires shining on towers on each of the four corners. The sunset is a glorious mixture of red, orange, and yellow. At the sight of the setting sun, Zhao and Zuko kneel, preparing for the duel.

"Remember your firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons." Iroh instructs helpfully, remembering all too well what had happened during Zuko's last agni kai.

"And whatever else you do, just make sure to be careful. It wouldn't be the same searching for the Avatar without you." Liling added, feeling both terrified and proud.

"I refuse to let him win." Zuko growled, pulling out of his kneeling position. His shoulder wrap falls to the ground ceremoniously.

Zhao stands and turns, his shoulder wrap falling to the ground as well. Clenching a fist, he cockily remarks "This will be over quickly. "

Both men face each other and assume firebending stances. Zuko fires the first shot which passes harmlessly to Zhao's left. He fires again; this time it passes without effect to Zhao's right. Zuko fires several more, the last of which Zhao blocks, satisfaction evident on his face. Frustrated and losing control of his breath, Zuko moves towards his opponent, unleashing more fire from both his hands and feet. Zhao dodges or blocks them all. Zhao then crouches forward and shoots flame at a point on the ground close in front of him.

"Basics, Zuko! Break his root!" Iroh shouts, seeing how in distress his nephew is.

Zhao fires many volleys of flame, alternating between his fists. Zuko blocks each, but is slowly forced back. On the last volley Zhao uses both hands, knocking Zuko over and sending him skidding backwards in the dirt. Zhao takes a flying jump at him. Zhao lands as Zuko tries to get up, but he isn't fast enough. Zhao fires right at him. Zuko rolls out of the way just in time, and as he is getting up sweeps Zhao's feet out from under him. Zuko lands on his feet, a slight smile appears on his face. Zuko is advancing towards Zhao, using his feet to produce small waves of flame that rush toward his opponent. Zhao is caught off balance and wobbles slowly backward. Iroh, his fists clenched in an expression of hope, a smile begins to spread over his face. Liling had anxiously been clutching his arm, but as Zuko progressed, her grip slowly began to loosen. Zuko finally lays Zhao out flat on the ground with a blast of fire. Zuko rushes up to him, prepared to deal the final blow.

"Do it!" Zhao shouts furiously, hating the current position he has found himself in. He has been disgraced and shamed by an exile, an outcast, and wanted it over with as quickly as possible.

Zuko releases a blast before standing erect, dropping his fighting stance. There is a smoking hole in the ground, next to which is Zhao, who is clearly very much unharmed, next to the hole.

Zhao stared at the hole in confusion before turning to look at Zuko. Quivering with rage, he snarled "That's it? Your father raised a coward."

Zuko's stance remains relaxed as he calmly says "Next time you get in my way, I promise I won't hold back."

Zuko turns his back and begins to walk away. Zhao gets up and, with a howl of anger, unleashes a whip of flame at Zuko. The flame itself as it rushes toward Zuko's back. The flame extinguishes, however, as a hand closes over the foot. Iroh had moved between them to stop the dishonorable attack. They remain frozen for a moment before Iroh hurls Zhao back into the dirt with little effort. Zuko rushes to avenge the insult, but is stopped by Liling who wraps her arm around his.

"No, Zuko. Do not taint your victory." she says softly, keeping him in place.

Iroh turns to face Zhao, a look of condescension on his face. "So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat. Disgraceful. Even in exile my nephew is more honorable than you." Zuko looks at Iroh in surprise at this comment. "Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious." Iroh moves to leave and Liling follows, Zuko close behind. With subdued anger, Zhao watches them exit the gate of the arena.

Zuko quietly asks "Did you really mean that, Uncle?"

Iroh slyly replies "Of course. I told you ginseng tea is my favorite."

Liling gently nudged Iroh in the ribs and said "Come on, Iroh, let Zuko enjoy the moment. He did just defeat one of the great Fire Nation commanders in a matter of minutes."

Iroh chuckled softly as Zuko placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "I know you're proud of me Uncle. As you should be given you taught me everything I know. Thank you both for your support today." Walking arm in arm, they climbed aboard the ship and set sail before speeding off in search of the Avatar.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: A Rocky Encounter**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Uncle! Liling! It's time to leave! Where are you? Liling! Uncle Iroh!" Zuko yelled as he emerged from a cluster of tall reads into a tranquil clearing. He sees a fire soldier uniform hanging from the low branches of a tree and runs over to it, clutching the fabric in his hands. Looking up, Zuko sees Liling and Iroh soaking in a hot spring, the tub made out of rock and it is fed by a stream coming out of the rocks behind it.

"Over here." Iroh happily called, waving him over.

Zuko, taken aback, asks "Uncle? Liling? We need to move on, we're closing in on the Avatar's trail and I don't want to lose him!"

Liling waved off the troubling comment and airily replied "You look tired, Zuko. Why don't you join us in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?"

"My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!" Zuko snapped angrily.

"You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself." Iroh said before shifting his position slightly, putting his hands together and breathes steam from his nostrils.

The steam encompasses Zuko and he bats it away from his face. "Enough! We need to leave now! Get out of the water!"

Sighing defeatedly, Liling muttered an indignant "Fine," before placing a hand on the edge of the spring and propelling herself out of the water. Zuko shielded his eyes respectfully before realizing he had seen clothing on her. Lowering his hand, he saw she was wearing a bikini top with a skirt that had a slit running up one side covering her lower half. As she reached for her clothes, she smiled slightly to herself. Without having to look at Zuko she could tell he was blushing.

"I suppose I should come with you as well." Iroh said, standing up, revealing he was in nothing more than a loin cloth.

At that, Zuko threw his hands up and kept them up. "On second thought, why don't you take another few minutes, but be back at the ship in half an hour or I'm leaving without you."

Iroh, leaning back, sighed happily. Zuko started walking away, Liling following close behind given that she was already dressed. She gave Iroh one last look before following Zuko, using her control over fire to dry her hair.

* * *

Iroh was snoring peacefully in the bath, oblivious to how long it had been since Zuko and Liling had left. A sudden noise reverberates from amongst the forest and startles Iroh into wakefulness. "Uh? Who's there?" he slurs, still not fully shook from his drowsiness. Iroh's head scans back and forth over the forest in front of him, searching for the source of the sound.

A small rodent jumps onto the lip of the hot spring. He lets it jump into his outstretched hand. "A meadow vole! I should have known. You startled me, little one." Iroh lets the vole go and leans back against the wall of the hot spring and puts his hands behind his head, cushioning his head. "Ehh, seems I've dozed off and missed my nephew's deadline, but it was a very sweet nap."

The vole starts hopping up and down on the lip of the bath and making chittering noises. Suddenly it stops, the ground starts shaking from deeper in the forest. It flips around to see dust clouds rising from the forest and then hops away as a ground tremor encroaches towards Iroh at an unnatural pace. Soon it reaches Iroh's bath along with two other shock waves. The old general has been caught by surprise and when the shockwaves reach his spring he is quickly held fast by three triangular stones that have been pushed into the tub. A second later, three earthbenders appear next to the tub behind each of the three stone projectiles that are holding Iroh imprisoned. A fourth Earth Kingdom soldier takes Iroh's uniform off the tree branch from which it was dangling, as an officer walks up to the spring.

"He's a Fire Nation soldier." the soldier calls from the tree.

"He's no ordinary soldier. This is the Fire Lord's brother, the Dragon of the West, the once great General Iroh, but now, he's our prisoner." the Captain corrects his soldier as he leers down at Iroh, who is squinting unhappily at being caught.

* * *

"It's been over than hour and Iroh has yet to show up. You don't think something happened to him?" Liling asked, pacing back and forth in front of Zuko.

Annoyed, he gently grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Listen, I know Iroh and he's probably just fallen asleep." Zuko said, attempting to comfort her. Upon seeing her worried gaze, Zuko added "Though I guess it wouldn't hurt to look for him."

Liling breathed a sigh of relief as the two of them selected ostrich horses to look for Iroh on. Zuko offered to boost Liling but she had already boarded her own horse and was awaiting Zuko to do the same. Once they were both set, they galloped into the forest, ready to bring Iroh back to the ship.

Upon arriving at the hot springs, they unboarded their ostrich horses and looked around. His clothes were still on a tree branch but Iroh himself was missing.

"Uncle! Uncle, where are you?" Zuko calls out, worry seeping into his voice.

"Maybe he thought we left without him? Oh, why did you have to say 'Be back at the ship in half an hour or I'm leaving without you'? I mean, you know Iroh. He'd fall asleep whilst falling off a war balloon. He probably fell asleep, woke up, and went searching for." Liling began to babble incessantly and started her pacing again.

Zuko didn't bother to stop her this time. Instead, he slowly walks over to the hot spring and begins examining it. "Something's not right here. That pile of rocks… it looks like there's been a landslide."

Liling scratched her chin thoughtfully before shaking her head. "Land doesn't slide uphill. Those rocks didn't move naturally. Iroh's been captured by earthbenders!" She and Zuko exclaimed looks of unbridled fury as they quickly scrambled onto their steeds before galloping off in search of Iroh and his captors.

* * *

Five Earth Kingdom soldiers on war ostriches trot along a worn path that trekked through the forest. One of them carries Iroh, chained and practically naked given he's in nothing but swim trunks.

Fidgeting his shackled wrists, Iroh asks "Where are you taking me?"

"We're taking you to face justice." the Captain replies shortly.

Iroh rolls his eyes. "Right. But where, specifically?"

The Captain clears his throat before replying "A place you're quite familiar with, actually. You once laid siege to it for six hundred days, but it would not yield to you."

Iroh wistfully sighs. "Ah! The great city of Ba-Sing-Se."

"It was greater than you were, apparently." the Captain told him, smirking slightly.

Iroh's face hardens as he defensively retorts "I acknowledged my defeat at Ba-Sing-Se! After six hundred days away from home, my men were tired and I was tired," He pauses, yawns, puts face in the back of the soldier he is riding with, "And I'm still tired." With that, Iroh falls off the ostrich and the soldier stops to look. Iroh lies on the road, chained up tight, but a with a victorious smile on his face. The Earth Kingdom soldiers all stop and pick him up, placing him back onto the back of the soldier's horse. The set off again, not noticing the sandal that Iroh left behind.

* * *

As Zuko and Liling speed through the woods, they come across the sandal Iroh left behind. The two stop and Zuko bends down, picking up the sandal. He brings it to his nose and sniffs it, a look of immediate disgust spreading over his face. "Yup, that's Uncle Iroh." he says, pocketing the sandal.

Liling nods as Zuko quickly climbs back onto his steed. Once he's on, the two take off with rejuvenated vigor, knowing they were indeed on the right trail.

* * *

The five war ostriches plod along it a treacherous mountain path, Iroh gazing over the edge. He looks up suddenly and is startled to see a blue dragon and Aang whiz by overhead. They pass right over the heads of the procession, but it is clear that only Iroh has seen anything.

Noticing Iroh's startled expression, the Captain snaps "What's the problem?"

Shaking his head to clear it, Iroh replied "Nothing." Suddenly a thought occurs to him as he corrects his previous statement. "Actually, there is a bit of a problem. My old joints are feeling sore and achy and these shackles are too loose."

The Captain is taken aback. "Too loose?"

"That's right. The cuffs are loose and they jangle around and bump my wrists. It would help me if you would tighten them so they wouldn't shake around so much." Iroh whined, shaking his wrists in demonstration.

With a heavy sigh, the Captain orders "Very well. Corporal, tighten the prisoner's handcuffs."

The corporal gets off and approaches Iroh. Before he could touch the shackles, Iroh breathes on them. They become red hot and Iroh grabs the corporal's hand and puts them on the hot iron. The corporal screams in pain and Iroh hops off the ostrich. He launches himself into the air and fires a blast of flame from his feet at the other soldier's on their ostriches. He rolls off the path and down the hill during the ensuing uproar.

The earthbender soldiers watch him from over the lip of the cliff, before earthbending a torrent of dirt and rock after him. Once Iroh is encompassed by debris they slide down the hillside in pursuit. When they catch up to him, Iroh is nearly completely buried in dirt and rocks. The soldiers closely surround him and look down at him, prepared to strike in case he made any sudden movements.

One of the soldiers turned to face the Captain and said "He is too dangerous, Captain. We can't just carry him to the capital. We have to do something now."

With a sharp intake of air the Captain says "I agree. He must be dealt with immediately and severely."

In response, Iroh spits out a stone and looks with disdain upon his captors who use their earthbending to maneuver him the rest of the way down the mountain to where an earthen pit was located. Iroh is stretched over a large rock in the center of the pit, his hands spread before him.

"These dangerous hands must be crushed." the Captain ordered in a low voice.

The captain cries aloud as he raises a huge boulder from the ground and moves it to hover over Iroh's hands. After letting it hover in suspense, he drops it. Before it could crush Iroh's hands and arms, Liling collided with the rock, blowing it to pieces. As she lands, she raises her foot in the air before bringing it down on the chains binding his hands, snapping it in two. Iroh appreciatively rubbed his wrists as Zuko slid down the hill, joining them. The three formed a tight triangle position as they sized up the Earth Kingdom troops. "Excellent form you two." Iroh said, admiring their stances as he took one of his own. "You taught me well." Zuko replied with a smirk. "Well enough to beat a few wayward soldiers, that's for sure." Liling confidently boasted. The earthbenders didn't seem to take too kindly to that remark.

The Captain smirked as he instructed "Surrender yourselves, it's five against two. You're clearly outnumbered."

Iroh smiled slightly as he replied "Uh, that's true, but you are clearly outmatched!"

Angered, all five earthbenders launch stones at the trio. Iroh swings his chains and breaks them into pieces mid-flight, Zuko blasts the two nearest him with fire, and Liling obliterates another two with lightning. The earthbenders quickly launch more boulders at them. Two of them fly towards Zuko's backside. Zuko is about to be hit when the stones are wrapped in Iroh's chains. He swings them around his body and releases them back at their captors. They are hit in the stomach and are both knocked out. The Captain launches several rocks at Liling, who dodges them and meets their fire with her own fire in the most literal way. The fire blast is blocked when the Captain lowers his head and the fire breaks harmlessly over his onion shaped helmet. The Captain raise two huge sheets of rock, but then chains wrap around the Captain's feet and his is pulled to the ground by Iroh. The rocks land on top of him, pinning the Captain to the ground. The Earth Kingdom soldiers are all left groaning and buried in dirt.

The trio relaxed their fighting stances and looked around at their fallen opponents. After enjoying their victory, Liling wrapped her arms around Iroh, glad to have him back. "When we discovered that you had been taken I was so worried." Liling told him, choking back a sob. She'd already lost one loved one to the Earth Kingdom. She didn't want to lose another.

"Let's head back to the ship." Zuko suggested after a moment of standing awkwardly to the side.

"Not until you get in on this hug." Liling retorted, holding out an arm to him.

Rolling his eyes, Zuko walked over to them and hesitantly wrapped an arm around Liling and another around Iroh. They remained like this for another moment before Zuko realized Iroh was still in nothing more than his trunks. Jumping back, he asked "Now would you please put on some clothes!"

Iroh laughed heartily as the three of them began walking back towards the ship, ready to set sail and continue with their quest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Missing Lotus Tile**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Excellent form, Zuko! You're definitely getting better!" Liling called with a grunt as she pulled out of the back bend she had done in order to avoid Zuko's latest blast of fire. "But there's still room for improvement." she added before sending a jolt of lightning towards him.

"Whoa!" Zuko exclaimed, jumping out of the way. He landed on the palms of his hands before pushing his body into the air, spinning around, and firing blast after blast at her.

Liling neatly dances around all of them and sinks into a crouch just as Zuko prepares to land. Suddenly the ship tilts to starboard, knocking both combatants off balance.

Scrambling to his feet, Zuko shouted "Someone's changing our course!" He quickly storms off the deck, Liling trailing him closely. He slams open the door with a _bang_ and shouts "What's the meaning of this mutiny? No one told you to change course!"

The helmsman shrinks from Zuko's wrath when Iroh suddenly interjects "Actually, someone did. I assure you it is a matter of utmost importance, Prince Zuko."

"Is it something to do with the Avatar?" Zuko exclaims excitedly.

Shaking his head, Iroh replies "Even more urgent. It seems... I've lost my lotus tile." Iroh moves a piece forward on the Pai Sho board, much to the dismay of the crew member he was playing against.

"Lotus tile?" Zuko asked, confused, anger beginning to seep into his voice.

"For my Pai Sho game. Most people think the lotus tile insignificant, but it is essential for the unusual strategy that I employ." Iroh explained, carefully scrutinizing the board.

Zuko, incensed, retorts "You've changed our course for a stupid lotus tile?"

Mournfully shaking his head, Iroh says "See, you, like most people, underestimate its value. Just give me ten minutes to check the merchants at this port of call. Hopefully they'll have the lotus tile in stock and I can get on with my life!"

Liling crosses her arms with a sigh before saying "Please just let him get it. You'll never hear the end of it if you don't."

Zuko works hard to contain his anger, ultimately releasing a gout of flame from his mouth the licks over the ceiling. Iroh smiles and, despite the smoke and flames filling the room, says "I'm lucky to have such an understanding nephew."

Liling lightly snorts into her sleeve as Zuko's eyes widen. He unleashes another spout of fire from his nose, angrily huffing, but allowing the ship to maintain the course Iroh set it on.

* * *

It wasn't long before the ship docked at an Earth Kingdom village. The trio and several guards leave the ship and venture to the closet shop. Zuko's arms are folded across his chest and he stares at nothing in particular, unhappy.

Liling sees this and playfully nudges him. "Come on, Zuko. You need to calm down. We're not leaving this village until Iroh finds his piece so you might as well relax and enjoy our stay."

Zuko unfolded his arms and replied "I can't relax. Not while the Avatar's still out there. I'll relax after I have found him and restored my honor." Liling pulled her arm away then and looked away. Zuko's eyes softened as she did this, not meaning to have hurt her. "I'm sorry." he told her in a softer tone. Liling still refused to look at him. Scratching the back of his head, Zuko suggested "Why don't we go into that shop over there and look around?"

Liling's eyes snapped open and she turned her gaze to meet his. With a small smile, she innocently remarked "You actually want to go shopping?"

"It's like you said. We're obviously stuck here until Iroh finishes finding his Pai Sho piece so we might as well do something over than mope around." Zuko said, taking her hand and leading the way towards the little store.

Liling readjusted her grip on Zuko's hand before saying "You do a good enough job mopping around for the both of us so this is a very nice change of pace."

Zuko only chuckled dryly for a brief moment before running ahead to get the door for her. Liling bowed slightly and made to walk through the door when Iroh ran up to them. Panting slightly, he said "I've checked all the shops on this pier. Not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace."

Zuko's smile melted away as he shouted "It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!"

Iroh simply dismissed the comment as he calmly said "Quite the contrary. I always say the only thing better than finding something you were looking for, is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" As he says this, a parade of Fire Nation soldiers walks by carrying armloads of merchandise that Iroh has just bought.

A brass instrument glitters in the sunlight, catching Liling's eye. "You bought a sumki horn?"

"For music night on the ship." Iroh explained before stroking his beard in thought and adding "Now, if we only had some woodwinds."

As they begin walking down the dock, they arrive outside a pirate ship. "This place looks promising!" Iroh exclaims, picking up the pace as he walks inside. He spots a red jeweled monkey and is quickly attracted to it. "Ooo! That is handsome! Wouldn't it look magnificent in the galley?"

Liling walks up to it and gazes at the jewel encrusted piece with deep scrutiny. After a second her face lights up and she exclaims "It looks very handsome, Iroh. Good choice."

Zuko simply browsed the shop. As he approached the checkout counter, he overheard a conversation between a man and the owner of the store.

"We lost the Water Tribe girl and the little bald monk she was traveling with." the man hissed to his boss.

Zuko, his interest now piqued, walks over and inquires "This monk, did he have an arrow on his head?"

* * *

The two groups set out together. Liling and Iroh were left in charge of the Fire Nation ship while Zuko traveled with the pirate band.

"Shouldn't we stop to search the woods?" the Captain inquired, denoting to where the trees met the water.

Zuko shook his head. "We don't need to stop. They stole a waterbending scroll, right?"

"Uh huh." the Captain replied, clearly not understanding where Zuko was going with this.

Rolling his eyes as though what he was saying was now obvious, Zuko snapped at him "Then they'll be on the water."

It wasn't long before Zuko was proven right. As they slowly crept along the river, they heard frustrated whispering. As they neared the sound, they saw a girl from the water tribe attempting to waterbend. "Shoot! Come on water, work with me here!" she reprimanded herself in a low voice. She lifts a globe of water out of the river and tries to manipulate it, each of her mistakes being punctuated by a verbal exclamation of "okay" or "stupid!" "Okay, Katara, shift your weight through the stances…" She was making progress when the water she was bending collapsed.

The boats dock on the riverbank unnoticed and both the Fire Nation and pirate crews silently file out. They sneak up on Katara who realizes too late what it happening. She turns to run, but there stands a pirate, who grabs her. "No, let go of me!" she shrieked, struggling against the strong grip of the pirate. She bends a water whip around and smacks the pirate in the face.

He lets her go, but she runs right into Zuko's arms, who holds her fast. He bends down and whispers to her "I'll save you from the pirates." He then spins Katara around and pins her against a tree as Liling gently ties restraints around her. Checking to make sure the knots were secure, yet loose enough to still remain comfortable, she pulled away, satisfied, and took her place beside Iroh.

Zuko paces in front of Katara before coming to an immediate halt. Putting his face in hers, he demands "Tell me where he is and I won't hurt you or your brother."

Katara contorts her face and shouts up at him "Go jump in the river!"

Zuko, trying to be reasonable, implores of her "Try to understand, I need to capture to restore something I've lost. My honor. Perhaps in exchange I can restore something you've lost." He moves behind her and wraps a necklace around Katara's throat.

Katara is at a loss for words. "My mother's necklace! How did you get that?"

Zuko smirked. He may have gotten to her. "I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering." In fact, the necklace had been simply found by Zuko as he had explored a previous location where the Avatar had been spotted. Deciding to keep that piece of information to himself, Zuko quickly commanded "Tell me where he is."

"No!" Katara cries back at him.

Zuko's face hardens as he quickly pockets the necklace. The Captain of the pirate crew walks forward and shouts "Enough of this necklace garbage. You promised the scroll!"

Zuko, producing the scroll and making fire in his hand beneath it, taunts "I wonder how much money this is worth?"

The pirates let out a collective gasp. Some drew weapons while others shouted an indignant "no!".

This only made Zuko's smile blossom. "A lot, apparently. Now you help me find what I want, you'll get this back and everyone goes home happy. Search the woods for the boy and meet back here."

The Captain, beaten, gave a disgruntled sigh. "Fine." The pirates went off into the forest in search of the Avatar and Katara's brother.

As they departed, Liling approached Zuko and placed a hand on his soldier. "Zuko," she began, getting him to look at her, "Don't you think it's a bit risky, sending a group of pirates to look for the Avatar? What if they decide to keep him for themselves?"

Zuko gave her a coy smile and replied "Did I send them after the Avatar? No. I sent them after a bald monk with a blue arrow tattoo on his forehead. They know nothing and I intend to keep it that way up until our time of departure."

Liling pulled her hand away from his shoulder and smiled approvingly at him. "You pulled a fast one over them. They truly have no idea who they're helping us capture. Iroh better watch out. You might just give him a run for his money as the cleverest member of the royal family."

Zuko glowed under the double compliment of being called clever and being compared to Iroh. He went to thank her but was cut off as the pirates arrived, the Avatar and Katara's brother in tow.

Zuko and his men lined up facing each other. Katara is still bound to the tree, Iroh standing on one side of her, Liling on the other. The pirates have the two boys tied up

Zuko holds the scroll out for them to see and says "Nice work."

"Aang, this is all my fault." Katara cries from the tree.

The Avatar, Aang, shakes his head as he replies "No, Katara it isn't."

Iroh quirks his eyebrows and says "Yeh, it kind of is."

Zuko ignores the exchange and says "Give me the boy."

Undaunted, the Captain replies "You give us the scroll."

The boy beside the Avatar suddenly exclaims "You're really gonna hand over the Avatar for a stupid piece of parchment!?"

Zuko furiously pointing at him and shouts "Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn us against each other."

The Captain stares hungrily at Aang and asks "Your friend is the Avatar?"

The boy, appearing at the Captain's side, says "Sure is, and I'll bet he'll fetch a lot more on the black market then that fancy scroll."

"Shut your mouth, you water tribe peasant!" snaps an enraged Zuko.

Aang, concerned about their well being, whispers "Yeh, Sokka, you really should shut your mouth…"

Sokka, looking innocently at the obviously very interested pirates, said "I'm just sayin', it's bad business sense. Just imagine how much the Fire Lord would pay for the Avatar. You guys would be set for life!"

The Captain sneers at Zuko as he says "Keep the scroll! We can buy a hundred with the reward we will get for the kid." The pirates begin to walk away with the kids.

Clenching his fists, Zuko cried "You'll regret breaking a deal with me!" Zuko and the guards on either side of him unleash a torrent of flame, which bathes the ground underneath the pirates who jump out the way. A battle begins. One of the pirates jump into the midst of the firebenders with a cry. Zuko and his men bear down on the still bound Aang and Sokka. As they get near, four pirates jump in front of their captors to defend them. They drop smoke bombs and the battlefield instantly becomes a foggy mess. The remaining Fire Nation soldiers approaches the edge of the crowd and are instantly pulled in by the arms of pirates emerging from the smoke.

Zuko emerges from the smoke cloud, coughing slightly. He puts the waterbending scroll through his waistband on his back. He turns around to just avoid a sword stroke. Zuko assumes a firebending stance in reply to the Captain pointing a sword at him. They fight, but no one gains advantage. The Captain's parrot yanks the scroll from Zuko's waistband but the Avatar's lemur takes it back from him. Zuko, too busy defending himself, doesn't notice.

Zuko attempted to sweep the pirate's legs out from under him and blasted fire at him from his feet before leaping up. The Captain raised his sword in the air and nearly brought it down on Zuko's back. However, he was intercepted by Liling who came out of nowhere and kicked the hilt of the sword out of his hand, shattering the bones in his fingers. The Captain fell to the ground, clutching his now very broken hand in his still good one. Smirking, Liling sunk into a crouch, taking a firebending stance. Zuko flanked her as the Captain got to his feet, holding the sword in his one good hand.

They were about to commence their fighting when Iroh suddenly stepped in between them, forcing them apart. "Are you so busy fighting you cannot see your own ship has set sail?"

"We have no time for your proverbs, Uncle!" Zuko shouted, fighting to get back at the pirate.

Iroh pointed towards the river and cried "It's no proverb."

The pirate ship is sailing down river. The Captain cries "Bleeding hog-monkeys!" as he sprints towards the water.

Zuko, beside himself with glee, laughs. "Haha!" His face quickly falls, however, when he sees his own ship following it, loaded with pirates, one of whom moves to moon Zuko and the other firebenders. "Hey! That's my boat!" Zuko exclaims, running helplessly towards the water. Liling speedily tails him, hoping to offer even the weakest form of assisstance.

Iroh thoughtfully scratched his chin and mused "Maybe it should be a proverb."

"Come on, Uncle!" Zuko shouts at him, drawing Iroh out of his daze. Liling and Zuko run up to the river bank, nearing a towering waterfall, Iroh huffing and puffing behind them. "My boat!" Zuko cries mournfully as the boat capsizes into the river.

Iroh, who has finally regained his breath, laughs. "Hehe, Prince Zuko, you're really going to get a kick out of this. The missing lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" He produces the missing lotus tile with a huge smile on his face. The piece Iroh was holding disappears fast as lightning when Zuko snatches it from him. Zuko throws it as far as he can into the river. Iroh mournfully stares after the piece as Liling giggles before lightly punching Zuko in the arm.

"You didn't have to do that." she told him.

"I did actually. We'd still have our boat had he found that piece earlier." Zuko snapped angrily, his ponytail whipping around in fury.

Liling rolled her eyes before saying "Let's go get a new ship. I'm sure if anything, I can procure us a new ship."

Zuko nodded in agreement and said "Then let's go. The sooner we get a new boat, the sooner we can obtain the Avatar."

Biting her lip, Liling adjusted her previous statement by saying "But first, we need to get Iroh a new lotus tile."

Iroh grinned at the suggestion. Wrapping an arm around each of their shoulder's, he began leading them down the river, back towards the village, ready to get his missing piece and a new boat.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: A Not So Pleasant Surprise**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

It was music night. The crew was dancing along as Iroh and Liling sang a traditional Fire Nation song. Her light, melodic voice harmonized well with his deep one. Zuko had refused to join them but they wouldn't let him spoil their evening. Enjoying the song and getting a feel for the music, Liling gracefully leapt to her feet and grabbed Iroh by the hands, pulling him to his feet alongside her. Laughing as they sang, the two danced, even though it wasn't much more than spinning in a wonky circle and twirling around every now and then. Suddenly the sound of sarcastic clapping filled the air. The two stopped dancing and turned towards the sound to see Commander Zhao looking at them with his arms crossed.

"Commander Zhao. What a… surprise." Liling greeted, giving him a mocking bow.

"Princess Liling. Or should I call you 'princess of the exiles' now?" Zhao replied in the same mocking voice in an attempt to bait her.

However, the only thing he got out of her was a smirk. "As long as I'm the princess of something, I'm still a princess and I will be shown respect by anyone of a lower ranking. That includes commanders such as yourself." Iroh chuckled into his sleeve as his daughter said that.

Zhao clenched his fists before smirking and saying "Commanders you outrank, but admirals are of almost equal footing to you." He began to reach into his pocket. Liling began lowering her body into a fighting stance. Zhao saw this and laughed. "I'm not attacking you. I'm showing you something." He displayed a piece of parchment.

Liling tore it from his grip and read it. Disgusted, she thrust the paper to Iroh who skimmed it before lowering the paper in shock. "I've been promoted to admiral and with this direct order from Fire Lord Ozai himself to take the crew from this ship, I outrank you and whatever authority you might of possessed had you stayed in the Fire Nation rather than go into exile." With a deep breath, Zhao cleared his throat and added "However, you and your father are more than welcome to come with the crew and be personally elevated to the status of general and royalty."

"With all do respect, my place, Iroh's place, is here with Zuko. The boy needs guidance and he's certainly not going to get it from anyone else. We're staying here." Iroh nodded approvingly as Liling simply clasped her hands and smiled. "Why don't I personally escort you to Prince Zuko's chambers so you can tell him this yourself?"

"I don't need an escort." Zhao replied, moving to step around her.

Liling stepped to the side so that she was blocking his path. She jabbed her finger into his chest and said "This is my ship, not Fire Lord Ozai's, therefore you will respect my authority and I will escort you to Prince Zuko's chambers. And admiral or not, my authority will always outrank your own so I suggest you watch your tongue." She slowly pulled her hand away from his chest, clasped her hands together, and said "Now, allow me to escort you to Prince Zuko's chambers." Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and led the way, followed by Zhao, who was followed by Iroh, who chose to be in the back to he could continue laughing unnoticed. Outside Zuko's room, Liling swept aside the curtain and entered.

"For the last time, I'm not playing the sumki horn." Zuko said, standing up to send her off.

Iroh followed Liling inside and said "No, it's about our plans. There's a bit of a problem."

Zhao enters the room behind them. "I'm taking your crew." he says, cutting directly to the chase.

Zuko, stunned, turns towards Zhao and exclaims "What!?"

"I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole." Zhao airily replied.

Zuko slowly turns from Zhao to Iroh and stutters "Uncle, is that true?"

Iroh sadly nods his head. "I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone." He puts the back of his hand against his forehead and cries in woe. "Even the cook!"

"Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again." Zhao haughtily remarks.

Zuko charges him in anger, but Iroh prevents him from tackling Zhao, who walks over to inspect the curved broadswords on the wall. Zhao's face is swollen in anger as he recognizes the blades. He takes one off the wall and stares at it. "I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko." Zhao says slowly, tempting him to say something in reply.

"I'm not. They're antiques. Just decorative." Zuko replies, quickly covering for himself.

Not seeming to get anywhere with Zuko, Zhao turned towards the other two. His eyes quickly skipped over Liling and fell on Iroh, of whom he asked "Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?"

Shaking his head, Iroh replied "Just rumors. I don't think he is real."

Zhao grumbled at being shut down before saying "He's real alright. He's a criminal, an enemy of the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling that justice will catch up with him soon." Zhao moves to exit Zuko's quarters. "General Iroh, Princess Liling, the offer to join my mission still stands if either of you change your mind." With that, Zhao closes the door behind him.

* * *

The crew stand outside the ship and make their way towards Zhao's massive warship. Zuko watches before having enough and going into his room. He lies on his bed and tucks his arms behind his head, trying to calm down.

Soon after, the curtain is pushed open and Iroh sticks his head in. Liling follows him inside as Iroh says "The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels."

Zuko made a sound in the back of his throat as he rolled over. "Good riddance to those traitors."

"I'm sorry, Zuko," Liling began, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged her off. Undeterred, she continued, "Look, I know losing the crew was a blow to our mission but truth be told, we don't need a crew. As long as the three of us stick together, the Avatar is as good as caught."

WIth a disgruntled sigh, Zuko turned to her and said "That's not the reason I'm upset. I'm upset because Zhao came aboard my ship and stole my crew and there was nothing I could do about it."

Liling's face hardened as she said "But there is something you can do about it! Stop moping around and start thinking strategy. We won't accomplish anything if we live in the shame and humiliation of today. We must overcome this so we are able to focus on finding the Avatar so we can all go home."

Something inside Zuko snapped. "What would you know about shame and humiliation? You're life has been perfect! Your father loves you and would do anything for you. You're not a disgrace to the Fire Nation. Azula, my own sister, would rather have you as a sibling than me. What could you possibly have to complain about?"

Liling frowned. How dare he talk to her that way? "What could I have to complain about? Both my mother and my brother are dead! I will never see either of them again! You think you're the only one who knows about suffering and loss but you're not! Sure I don't have a big, ugly scar on my face, but that doesn't mean my life's perfect! As for me not knowing anything about shame or humiliation, that too is incorrect. When Iroh retreated from Ba Sing Se, I was humiliated by association. The entire royal court considered me a laughing stock. Not to mention that I've been in exile with you for nearly three years! That doesn't exactly elevate my appeal to our people. I didn't have to come. I could have stayed and enjoyed my cushy palace lifestyle but I chose to help you."

"I didn't ask for your help!" Zuko snapped.

"You were a scared little boy!" Liling began, shouting up at him. "You didn't have to ask for my help. I willingly gave it. I left the life I had to help you! I'm not asking for a thank you but I am asking to be treated with respect."

The two of them stared at each other, breathing heavily as tension filled the air. Slowly, their breathing settled and they pulled away from one another. "I'm sorry, Liling. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Liling tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear as she replied "I shouldn't have yelled at you, either. It was wrong of me to do so, especially considering we had just lost our entire crew to 'Admiral' Zhao. Not that it matters what his status is because we will find the Avatar before he does and he'll become the new laughing stock of the Fire Nation."

"Always the optimist." Zuko muttered, this time sounding genuinely affectionate.

"Someone around here needs to be." Liling replied in a sarcastic tone. Taking Zuko's hand in her own she said "Come on. If I know Iroh, he's got a kettle of tea brewing right now. Let's go get a cup. You look like you need to relax."

Zuko's face remains neutral as he allowed himself to be dragged away. He knew it would be pointless to struggle against Liling when she had her mind set on something.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: An Ironic Infiltration**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

When Zuko and Liling finally found Iroh, they discovered he had not only prepared tea, but a meal as well. They ate a meager meal of fish and rice with a cup of hot tea to wash it down. Wiping his mouth, Iroh peered out the window and said "It's a beautiful night. Why don't we all take a walk and relax?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. What do you think Zuko?" Liling asked, turning towards him.

"You guys have fun. I'm going to bed." Zuko replied softly, standing up.

Liling made a move to reach out for him, thought better of it, and pulled her arm back as Zuko walked away, not looking back.

Iroh and Liling mournfully watched him go before polishing off their meals. "Are you still up for that walk, Iroh?" Liling gently asked.

"It is still a lovely night. It would be a waste not to go." Iroh replied, pushing himself up from where he had been sitting on the floor.

Liling leapt to her feet as well. The two of them looped their elbows together and set off. Once ashore, the two of them made their way up the cliff side. The path was treacherous but it was worth it. The much needed exercise coupled with the beautiful view provided by being up so high up made the hike worth it.

"Would you look at that view?" Liling said, denoting to the starry sky and the beautiful ocean. She haphazardly plopped down on the rickety ledge, happily taking in the view. Iroh leaned against the cliff face, his face softening at both the beauty of the view and the happiness on his daughter's face. "It's moments like these where exile is actually nicer than being back in the Fire Nation. We never had a view like this at home." Liling sighed happily.

Iroh placed a hand on her shoulder and replied "It is rather beautiful. Look how those stars light up the sky." Suddenly the sky got a lot brighter as their ship blew up.

Liling's eyes bulged in horror as she scrambled to her feet. "Zuko, no!" Iroh cried. The two dashed back down the mountain path.

They reach the dock, burning debris falling all around them. The two are dwarfed by the massive fireball that was Zuko's ship.

"Zuko…" Iroh cried mournfully as he and Liling fell to their knees in grief.

* * *

Iroh and Zhao sit opposite of each other, each holding a cup of tea. Liling sits off to the side, holding a cup of her own.

"I'm devastated to hear about Prince Zuko. Just devastated." Zhao remarks in a tone that indicates he is anything but.

Iroh closes his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. "The Fire Lord will not be pleased he learns who was responsible."

Zhao, suspicious, frowns. "You know who... was behind the attack?"

"Yes…" Iroh slams down on the table with his fist. "Pirates! We had a run in with them awhile back."

"They wanted revenge." Liling offered, her grip on the mug tightening, implying that she, too, wanted just that.

Zhao sipped his tea before asking "So, have you two reconsidered my offer?"

With a bow, Iroh replies "Yes, I accept. It will be an honor to serve as your general."

Liling bowed as well, saying "I accept your offer if you'll accept me, Admiral. I humbly apologize for how I treated you earlier and would be honored to serve as a member of your war council."

Zhao nodded once and replied "It would be my honor to have you serve me, Princess."

They all pulled out of their bows and raised their glasses.

"To the Fire Nation!" Liling shouted.

"For Fire Lord Ozai!" Iroh toasted.

"To victory!" Zhao cried.

After making their toasts, the three drank heartily, renewing their newfound partnership.

* * *

After their talk with Zhao, Iroh and Liling quickly left his quarters and briskly made their way into the heart of the ship. Walking down a desolate corridor, they ran into a guard who was walking in the other direction. They stopped when beside each other and begin to talk in hushed voices.

"Our plan is working perfectly. Zhao doesn't suspect a thing." Liling whispers.

The guard, removing his mask to reveal himself as Zuko, says "You two didn't have to do this."

Iroh smiles fondly as he replied "No nephew of mine is going to stow away on a ship without some backup!"

"As if we were actually going to let you do this by yourself." Liling added, brushing her arm against his.

"Thank you, both of you." Zuko whispered gratefully.

Iroh opened his mouth to reply when he heard a distant sound. "Someone's coming!" Zuko replaces his mask as Iroh orders "Stay hidden until we get to the North Pole and the Avatar will be yours! Good luck!"

The trio split up, Zuko going one way, Iroh and Liling going another, victorious smirks plastered on all of their faces.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: A Not-So-Surprising Failure**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

A fleet of Fire Nation ships glided across the ocean, not stopping for anything and refusing to allow any obstacles get in their way. On the bow of a ship, Iroh and Zhao stood side by side, staring out at the vast sea.

"This will truly be one for the history books, General Iroh." Zhao confidently remarked, his hands clasped casually behind his back. "Just think, centuries from now, people will study the great Admiral Zhao who destroyed the last of the Water Tribe civilization. You're lucky you're here to see it." As Zhao talked, he walked closer toward the edge of the ship, raising his arm and waving it over the water before clenching his fist with gusto.

Shaking his head ever so slightly, Iroh cautioned "Be careful what you wish for, Admiral. History is not always kind to its subjects."

Zhao only smirked. "I suppose you speak from experience? But rest assured, this will be nothing like your legendary failure at Ba Sing Se."

"I hope not, for your sake." Iroh sighed, refusing to take the bait.

Just as Iroh had ignored the bait, Zhao ignored the advice. "Tell the Captains to prepare for first strike."

Iroh turns and slowly walks away. He left the bow of the ship and made his way through a maze of corridors before finding Liling, who was talking to Zuko, still disguised as a guard. As Iroh approached, the two pulled away from each other and looked at him, but upon realizing it was only Iroh, they relaxed their stances.

"We'll be landing soon. Do you have a plan?" Iroh asked in a hushed whisper.

Zuko removed his mask and replied "I'm working on it, Uncle. Liling has been helping me plan helping me work on a plan for the entirety of my station here."

Liling nodded and added "I just need to check on a couple more things but my plan should work."

Iroh nodded and Zuko placed his mask back over his face. The trio soon parted ways, Zuko going in one direction, Iroh and Liling going in another.

* * *

They finally arrived at the Northern Water tribe. Smirking, Zhao ordered for the ships to begin firing upon the wall that separated the tribe from the rest of the world.

Iroh stared at the darkening sky and shook his head. "It's almost twilight, Admiral. As your military consultant I must advise you to halt your attack. The waterbenders draw their power from the moon and it is nearly full tonight. You should wait and resume the attack at daybreak."

"Oh, I'm well aware of the moon problem and I am working on a solution. But for now, daybreak it is." Zhao complied. Subsequently, the Fire Navy ships dropping anchors for the night. Plumes of smoke rise over several sections of the city that have been bombed.

* * *

Liling hurriedly walked down corridor after corridor, though all the guards were at their stations on the bow of the ship, she still wanted to be careful. She finally arrived at a secluded hallway and quickly walked into the room at the very end. Inside she found Zuko preparing to leave in search of the Avatar. She walked up to him and gently took his hands in hers. "Zuko…" she trailed off, looking him in the eye. "Are you sure you want to go alone?"

Zuko smiled grimly before replying "I have to do this alone. It's risky enough just me going, no one will notice. But Zhao will notice if you disappear suddenly."

"I know that, I just hate you going off on your own. I know you're competent enough to do this on your own, but I still worry about you." Liling said, offering him a small smile.

"You don't need to worry about me. I've have to do this. I will do this." Zuko confidently confided.

All Liling could do was nod. She let go of his hands and hugged him tightly. Zuko gently hugs her back before pulling away just as quickly. As they split apart, Iroh enters the room.

He walks over to Zuko and said "If you're fishing for an octopus, my nephew, you need a tightly woven net or he will squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape."

Zuko gave a disgusted sigh and replied "I don't need your wisdom right now, Uncle."

"I'm sorry, I just nag you because, well, ever since I lost my son…" Iroh looks away, pain evident on his face.

Liling walks over to him and places a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Uncle, you don't have to say it." Zuko began.

"I think of you as my own." Iroh finished with a smile.

Zuko turns to him, a genuine look of concern and understanding on his face. "I know, Uncle." He bows and salutes him with his arm over chest. "We'll meet again…" Iroh rushes forward and gives him a bear hug. Liling smiles at the display. Zuko hardly ever showed affection so seeing it now made her heart glow. Zuko released Iroh and walked over to the canoe he had been preparing. "...after I have the Avatar." he finished, getting into the canoe and lowering it to the water.

"Remember your Breathe of Fire! It could save your life out there!" Iroh called out.

"I will." Zuko promised.

"And put your hood up, keep your ears warm!" Liling suggested helpfully.

Nearly in the water, Zuko called up at them "I'll be fine."

Iroh and Liling watch Zuko sail off. They stay watching even after Zuko is nothing more than a speck on the horizon, unwilling to leave. After a moment, however, they hesitantly made their way back towards the heart of the ship, prepared to stall Zhao by whatever means necessary.

XXX

As soon as the sun rose, the Fire Navy began launching an assault on the Northern Water Tribe's wall. "I don't need to remind you we have a time limit. If we don't defeat the Water Tribe before the full moon rises they will be undefeatable." Iroh pointed out.

Zhao, smiling sinisterly, replied "I assure you I have everything under control. I intend to remove the moon as a factor."

"Remove the moon!? How?" Liling gasps incredulously.

Suddenly a water tribe soldier climbs aboard the ship and screams "Admiral Choi!" He takes off his helmet and throws it aside. "Prepare to meet your fate!" He rushes forward to Zhao, who casually throws him overboard. The water tribe fighter screams as he falls overboard and then a loud splash is heard. Iroh looks down and shakes his head, then turns back to Zhao.

Zhao, ignoring the pathetic assassination attempt, continues "As I was saying...years ago I stumbled upon a great and powerful secret...the identity of the Moon Spirit's mortal form."

Iroh is at a loss for words and is shocked. "What?"

"I was a young Lieutenant serving under General Shu in the Earth Kingdom. I discovered a hidden library, underground in fact. I tore through scroll after scroll. One of them contained a detailed illustration and the words "moon" and "ocean." I knew then that these spirits could be found – and killed. And that it was my destiny to do so."

This did not please Iroh to hear. "Zhao, the Spirits are not to be trifled with!" he shouted angrily.

Zhao patronizingly looks at Iroh and chuckles. "Yes, yes, I know you fear the Spirits, Iroh. I've heard rumors about your journey into the Spirit World. But the Ocean and Moon gave up their immortality to become a part of our world and now they will face the consequences!"

Iroh and Liling exchange a quick look before mournfully watching the siege take place.

* * *

Zhao enters the spirit oasis in the water tribe and stares at the Moon and Ocean spirits. Smirking hugely, he scoops the Moon spirit up in a sack and cries "I am a legend now! The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the great Zhao who darkened the moon! They will call me Zhao the Conqueror! Zhao the Moon Slayer! _Zhao the invincible_!" Suddenly a flying lemur jumps onto Zhao's head and starts pulling at his face and chittering. "Huh! Get it off!" Zhao cries, attempting to throw the creature off. The lemur flies off as the guards surround Zhao to help him. He lands on an outstretched arm; Aang's arm. A giant flying bison has landed and the kids square off against Zhao and his men. "Don't bother!" Zhao orders cockily. Zhao holds up a knife to the bag with the Moon Spirit in it.

Aang drops his staff and raises his hands in surrender. "Zhao! Don't!"

"It's my destiny... to destroy the Moon... and the Water Tribe." Zhao says softly.

Taking a deep breath, Aang says "Destroying the moon won't just hurt the Water Tribe. It will hurt everyone; including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."

"He is right, Zhao!" Iroh cries, entering the oasis, Liling flanking him. They both take bending stances.

Zhao, in a bored, lecturing tone, says airily "General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery? Princess Liling, on the other hand, I honestly can't believe this didn't happen sooner."

"I'm no traitor, Zhao, and neither is Iroh. The Fire Nation needs the moon too. We all depend on the balance." Liling cried, pleading with him.

Iroh points a finger at Zhao and thunders "Whatever you do to that spirit I'll unleash on you ten-fold! _Let it go now!_ "

Iroh and Zhao lock eyes for a moment, then Zhao falters, lowering the bag. He kneels and releases the fish back into the water. The red light of the moon vanishes, replaced by its normal color. However Zhao's face which is quickly overtaken by a look of madness and desperation. With a cry of rage he stands and smites the water with a blast of fire. Iroh and Liling recoil in horror. Aang and the lemur's face is briefly illuminated by the fire. The Avatar looks up to witness the moon wink out of existence.

Iroh and Liling instantly spring into the attack. Crossing the footbridge, Iroh fires blast after blast, Liling matching them with lightning. Zhao blocks one blasts and backs away while Liling expertly dispatches Zhao's four guards. Zhao looks on in horror as his men are wiped out by the aging General and his teenage daughter with such ease and precision. Deciding he doesn't stand a chance, he flees.

Liling and Iroh stand over the guards who struggle to get up before heading back to the pond where the black fish swims frantically and the white fish, a huge gash in its side, floats by the surface. Iroh gently lifts the white fish from the water, an expression of sadness on his face. Liling gently runs a finger along it, devastated by what she just witnessed.

"There's no hope now. It's over." a water tribe girl with bright white hair cries.

"No, it's not over." Aang says as his tattoos begin to glow. He walks forward into the pond. He stands in the middle of the pond, arms in prayer. He looks down at the black fish, whose eyes and white mark on his spine begin to glow white. Then he drops into the pond as if the bottom had fallen out of it and he disappears. The water in the pool around the oasis itself begins to glow a deep blue veined with white. The glow spreads from behind the citadel to encompass the entire citadel area of the city. The five look with wonder at the awesome power coming to life before them. A huge, incandescent blue wave rushes under the footbridge as if some huge creature were moving underneath it. The blue, white veined creature is a huge fish like being. At its center is a blue white bubble in which we can see Aang, who spreads his arms wide. A moment later, the Ocean Spirit, for this is truly he in communion with the Avatar, duplicates the motion. The Ocean Spirit towers over the citadel, it's arms still spread wide, it's blue spirit lighting the city like a beacon. The Spirit begins to move down into the city.

XXX

After Aang left, the group mournfully pass around the body of the Moon Spirit. Suddenly, Iroh looks up at the white haired water tribe girl. "You have been touched by the Moon Spirit. Some of its life is in you!"

The girl looks up and says Yes, you're right. It gave me life. Maybe I can give it back." She gets up and goes to the pond's edge.

A water tribe boy reaches for her and cries "No! You don't have to do that!"

She takes his hand and says "It's my duty, Sokka."

Sokka tightens his grip on her hand and shouts "I won't let you! Your father told me to protect you!"

"I have to do this." the girl strongly relies. She walks to Iroh, who holds the dead fish in his hands. She puts her palms over the Moon Spirit which begins to glow. She closes her eyes for the last time, exhales a final breath, and falls over into Sokka's arms.

" _No!_ " Sokka cries in despair. He places his hands on her cheek and looks away. "She's gone." He hugs her body tightly and sighs. "She's gone."

* * *

After the Moon spirit had been restored, Iroh and Liling silently departed from the mourning boy and his dead girlfriend. "What do we do now, Iroh?" Liling asked as they kept to the shadows, avoiding both the water tribe and fire nation troops.

"We find Zuko and leave." Iroh said with a grunt, stopping to check around the bend and making sure no one would see them.

"And what about the Avatar?" Liling asked, because it was very apparent that Zuko had failed at capturing him.

"We leave _without_ him. We'll be lucky to get away at all. Zhao has probably already informed the rest of his crew about our betrayal so we can expect no help from them. And if any water bender catches sight of our Fire Nation attire, we will most certainly be attacked." Iroh says, deflecting a stray fireball as Liling knocks aside a volley of ice cicles.

"I doubt that we'll run into anybody, sense they're probably too busy running from _that!_ " Liling cries, pointing towards the fusion between the Avatar and the Ocean spirit as it makes its way back towards the spirit oasis. The two of them jump out of the way of the spirit as it harmlessly passes them, heading for a bridge where a firebender was fighting another firebender. "Is that… is that Zuko?" Liling cried out.

Iroh squinted in horror at the scene. It was indeed Zuko and he was fighting Zhao. The spirit fusion picks up Zhao, leaving Zuko alone, and sucks him into the river. He doesn't come back up. Zuko looks over the water's edge, frightened, as Iroh and Liling run up to him.

"Zuko! Are you alright?" Liling cries, enveloping him in her arms.

Zuko turns in shock, surprised to see them. His smile softens as he says "I am now that I've found you two." However his smile fades and he turns to look away. "But the Avatar got away."

Iroh's face hardens and says "We don't have time to worry about that now. We must escape!"

"But how, Uncle? We can't very well get back on a Fire Navy ship! They've all been destroyed by the Avatar!" Zuko shouts.

Liling's eyes roam their surroundings and see a small water tribe canoe off to the side, slightly buried under some loose debris. "I think I know where we can get a ship."

* * *

The canoe ended up being the perfect sailing vessel. While not very big or comfortable, it provided a means for escape and that was all they could ask for.

"I'm surprised, Zuko, surprised that you are not at this moment trying to capture the Avatar." Liling teased, adjusting her position so as to paddle more efficiently.

"I'm tired." Zuko replied. He did indeed look tired and frozen solid.

Iroh put a hand on his nephew's shoulder and said "Then you should rest. A man needs his rest."

Iroh pulls his hand away as Zuko lays down. He looks up into the sky, a pained look on his face before closing his eyes, ready to be anywhere else but the north pole.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: On the Run**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

After spending nearly a month on a raft, riding the current from the Northern Water Tribe to an Earth Kingdom village, the trio made camp in an abandoned building.

"I can't believe we're reduced to living like this!" Zuko exclaimed, furiously knocking aside a loose board.

"Relax, Zuko, it's only a temporary setback." Liling replied, attempting to comfort him.

Zuko angrily turned on her and shouted "There's nothing temporary about this! We are wanted traitors to the Fire Nation, and hated by everyone else. The only way to return home now and not be killed is with the Avatar, who escaped yet again and is probably on the other side of the world by now. We have no money, no crew, no resources, no means to survive, and we'll probably be stuck here until we die!"

"Prince Zuko," Iroh snapped, "Stop yelling. This situation is _not_ temporary. It might not be over quickly, but we won't be living in poverty forever. We will take a small break to recover from our travels and then get right back to hunting the Avatar." Zuko opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something but quickly shut it in defeat. Iroh, smiling victoriously, suggested "Why don't we go explore the sights, eh?"

Liling beamed at the suggestion. She took one of Iroh's hands in her own, Zuko's in the other, and jubilantly cried "Yes! We're going now, no questions asked." Adjusting her grip so that she had a firmer one on both men's hands, she led them out of their new home and into town, ready to have a well deserved break.

* * *

Their first stop was at a bathhouse overlooking a tranquil waterfall. Iroh and Liling receive massages while Zuko sulks in a corner.

Iroh sighs contentedly as he receives a massage from two attendants. "Aaahhh... this is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?"

Liling laughed lightly and replied "Right? Because the comforts of home pale in comparison to the luxury of our current living standards."

They both look over at Zuko and see he is still sulking. They exchange a glance with one another before getting up and joining him on the ground.

"I see. It's the anniversary, isn't it?" Liling asked him tentatively.

Zuko sighed dejectedly before replying "Three years ago today I was banished. I lost it all. I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless."

Iroh, with exaggerated optimism, exclaimed "I'm sure he doesn't! Why would he banish you if he didn't care?"

Zuko looks at him exasperatedly before getting up and walking away. A look of surprise crosses Iroh's face before he turns to Liling and says "Erg… that came out wrong, didn't it?"

* * *

In their room, Iroh tips over a bag, gently shaking out its contents onto a table. "Look at these magnificent shells! I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come." He sighed happily, admiring their beauty.

Zuko turned on him and snapped "We don't need anymore useless things. You forget we have to carry everything ourselves now."

Liling pushed off against the wall she was leaning against and said "No need to be so hateful, Zuko, they're just shells. It's good to have something beautiful to behold, especially in today's world."

Zuko turned to her and opened his mouth to say something but someone else beat him to it. "Hello, brother. Uncle. Liling." It's Azula. She steps out of the shadows and holds her hands out, palms up, in greeting.

"Azula! It's great to see you!" Liling happily exclaimed, walking over to her and hugging her gently around the shoulders. Azula returned the embrace, before shortly pulling away. They bowed to each other before turning to face Iroh and Zuko, both of whom were scowling deeply.

Clenching his fist, Zuko demands "What are you doing here?"

Azula is utterly unaffected by their glares. She picks up a sea shell and toys it in her hands. "In my country, we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions. I see Liling is the only one who retained her good manners." She gets up and walks over to face Zuko. "Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?"

Zuko furiously replies "Don't call me that!"

Iroh's voice hardened as he asked "To what do we owe this honor?"

"Hmm... must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point". Azula shatters one of Iroh's shells with her sharp nails on this last word. Iroh's face darkens. "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him. He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him; treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can really trust." Both her voice and face soften then. "Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home."

When Zuko doesn't say anything, Azula's face hardens. "Did you hear me? You should be happy. Excited. Grateful. I just gave you great news."

"I'm sure your brother just needs a moment to—" Iroh began but was interrupted.

Azula angrily cut him off. "Don't interrupt, Uncle!" She then turns towards Zuko and says "I still haven't heard my thank you. I am not a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way."

Zuko, his voice clouded with shock and disbelief, stutters "Father regrets? He... wants me back?"

Azula places a hand on Zuko's arm and says "I can see you need time to take this in. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening. Liling." Azula said, bowing again to her. Liling bowed back as Azula departed.

XXX

"We're going home. After three long years. It's unbelievable." Zuko walks behind a thoughtful Iroh, carrying some folded clothing.

As he passes, Iroh turns to him and skeptically remarks "It is unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything."

Zuko whips around and exclaims "Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him. He cares about me."

Iroh sighs slightly and says "I care about you. And if Ozai wants you back... well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine."

Zuko defensively turns his back to Iroh and snaps "You don't know how my father feels about me." He stiffens, emboldened, and says "You don't know anything."

"Zuko, please, Iroh is only trying to help you. You can't deny things don't seem slightly suspicious." Liling pleaded of him.

Iroh nodded and gently said "Zuko, I only meant that in our family things are not always what they seem."

Zuko whirls around angrily and faces Iroh, leaning in as he accuses him nastily "I think you are exactly what you seem: a lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who has always been jealous of his brother." Zuko turns and walks away. Iroh looks on sadly, then closes his eyes.

Liling wraps her arms around Iroh's tricep and leans against him. "He'll come around." she said encouragingly, though she couldn't stop a hint of doubt from creeping into her voice.

* * *

Zuko quickly descends the steep stairs that were cut into the cliff side, a bag over his shoulder. He pauses for a moment and looks down at the Fire Nation ship in the bay below, then turns to continue on.

Iroh urgently calls out from behind him "Wait!" He and Liling hurriedly chase after Zuko, the two of them descending and waving behind Zuko.

"Don't leave without us!" Liling shouted.

Zuko, happily surprised, turns towards them. "Liling! Uncle! You've changed your mind!"

"Family sticks together, right?" Iroh said with a large grin plastered on his face as Liling hugged Zuko tightly.

"We're finally going home." Zuko says, a content smile plastered on his face. Zuko continues on down the stairs, Liling's elbow notched around his, but Iroh takes a second glance at the ship a skeptical, suspicious look on his face.

* * *

A group of Fire Nation soldiers form two ranks along the path leading to the ship. Liling, Zuko, and Iroh walk toward them. Azula stands at the top of the stairs leading onto her ship, a soldier on each side. The trio walk between the soldiers. Zuko looks content, Liling glances at them before training her eyes forward, while Iroh eyes them suspiciously.

Azula raises her arms in greeting and bows to them. "Liling! Brother! Uncle!" The trio of them bow. Iroh opens one eye slightly, watching the soldiers beside him. "Welcome. I'm so glad you decided to come. Liling, could you come with me for a moment?" Liling shared a glance with Iroh before joining Azula on the stop of the stairs. "You go ahead inside. I want a cup of tea and you always brew an excellent cup." Azula demanded. Liling bowed before departing from the deck.

"Are we ready to depart, Your Highness?" the Captain asks.

"Set our course for home, Captain." Azula said in a pleasant tone.

"Home…" Zuko wistfully sighed. Zuko and Iroh begin to climb the stairs onto the ship, the captain leading the way.

The Captain turns to his men and shouts "You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners ho—" he stops abruptly, realizing his mistake as soon as the words slip from his mouth. Zuko and Iroh stop, looking surprised. "Your Highness... I…" the Captain trails off, mortified.

Iroh looks to his left, then spins around, backhanding a guard off of the ship and kicking another down the incline. Another guard approaches from his left. He elbows him off the incline. Iroh punches another that approaches from his right and grabs another, spinning him around and tossing him overboard.

Zuko's eyes widen in betrayal. He grabs one guard, throwing him off the incline and into the water. He stalks up the incline, furious. "You lied to me!" Zuko shouted in fury, his hands igniting with each syllable.

Azula smiles smugly before sneering down at him. "Like I've never done that before." She turns and walks away, and two guards launch fire at the camera.

Zuko brushes the fire aside and charges forward, screaming. Zuko leaps on board, knocking two guards on either side out of the way with flames shooting from his arm and leg. He takes up a fighting stance at the left while Azula remains motionless, her back to her brother. She glances to her left and grins evilly. Zuko brings his arms down, fire daggers appearing in his fists.

Iroh begins fighting soldiers on the path leading to the ship. A soldier launches a kick at him, but a blast of fire from Iroh sends him flying. Two other soldiers approach from each side, and Iroh sends two blasts of fire at them, knocking them from the path. Another guard launches a fireball at Iroh's face, but he avoids it, grabbing the soldier's arm and putting a hand on his neck. Holding the guard, he turns toward the ship. "Zuko! Let's go!" Iroh shouted. He tosses the guard off the side of the path. Another approaches, throwing fire at the screen, but Iroh steps to the side and pushes him away with a palm to the face.

"We still need to get Liling!" Zuko shouts back, sending another fire blast at Azula.

"She's not going anywhere! Zuzu, you're an exile, and Uncle is the laziest man in the world. Liling, however, can still be useful to the Fire Nation and I'm not going to let you corrupt her like you two have corrupted yourselves." Azula taunted haughtily, easily dodging Zuko's attacks and returning with her own.

"What's going on out here?" Liling asked suddenly, holding a flaming kettle of tea. "I heard fighting." Her eyes sweep across the ship, looking first at Iroh, who's surrounded by guards, and then at Zuko and Azula, who were clearly engaged in combat upon her arrival.

Azula's smirk faltered at the sight of Liling. "Liling," she began, straightening out of her fighting stance. "This is just a big misunderstanding. Why don't you go back inside? I'll join you just as soon as I wrap things up out here."

Liling refused to listen. Taking a deep breath, she demanded "Azula, what is going on out here? Why are you and your men fighting Iroh and Zuko?"

Smile having completely faded by then, Azula said in a low voice "Go back inside."

A frown etching itself onto her face, Liling straightened up and told her "No. You lied to us, ambushed us, and tried to bring us prisoner. Why would I betray Iroh and Zuko to help you?" And with that, Liling lit the kettle on fire, spun around, and threw it directly at Azula's head. Azula ducked out of the way just in time and sent a fireball at Liling, who neatly danced out of the way.

Zuko roars with rage and swings his fire daggers at Azula ferociously. He swings them at Azula repeatedly, but she simply avoids them. She grabs his arm and spins him around. Zuko is breathing hard.

She brought her mouth close to his ear and whispers "You know Father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole. And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar. Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?"

Zuko brings out his fire daggers again and leaps at Azula, throwing a flaming kick at her head. She leaps back, nimbly dodging his blows. Liling jumps onto the platform behind Azula and sends blast after blast at Azula. Distracted by Zuko, she doesn't notice the flames until they're inches from her. However, she manages to quickly fall to the ground, her only means of escape at that point. Leaping up, she swipes at Zuko's face with her fingernails. Zuko staggers back, revealing three cuts on his forehead. He charges forward and screams, swiping his daggers at Azula as Liling covers him by blasting aside any attack Azula sends his way. She blocks his blows effortlessly and the fight continues up the stairs toward the cabin of the ship. She kicks Zuko, knocking him down the stairs a bit. He recovers quickly and charges back toward Azula. She blocks his fist and grabs his arm, bringing it down harmlessly. She glares at him, and Zuko's eyes widen. She tosses a blue flame at his head, sending him tumbling down the incline. He lands with a thud and pulls himself up, looking back at the incline. His vision is blurry and shaky as he tries to locate Azula. She is standing at the top of the incline and begins to swing her arms in arcs around, lightning arcing around her. It is the same maneuver she was practicing earlier. She aims her fingers at Zuko and a lightning bolt shoots toward him.

Iroh suddenly appears and grabs Azula's fingers in his hand. He channels the electricity through his body and shoots it from his other hand, letting it explode harmlessly into the cliffside. He turns back to Azula and kicks her, sending her flying overboard. She splashes into the water.

Once Azula was submerged, the trio fled the boat, dashing deep into the heart of the woods.

The three run down a path, pausing at a small body of water at the side of the river. They collapse onto their knees in exhaustion.

"I think we're safe here." Iroh panted, breathing hard.

Zuko brings out a knife with an inscription on the blade. He stares at it for a moment. Iroh nods solemnly and turns to Zuko. Zuko takes the knife and brings it behind his head and cuts off his ponytail. He passes the knife to Iroh, who does the same. Iroh then passes the blade to Liling who sets it down and takes her hair out of its updo. Having done that, she snags her hair in her fingers and slices it off with the knife. Her now loose hair gently brushes against her shoulders. Sighing slightly, she hands the blade back to Zuko and hesitantly lowers her chopped off hair into the water and watched as it floated down stream. Zuko releases his ponytail as well, letting it fall into the water, Iroh imitating him.

They sit for a moment longer before finally standing up and continuing down the path, knowing no where was safe.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Delicious Tea or Deadly Poison?**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

The trio had been trekking the woods since sun up. They had yet to find anything edible to eat. Zuko had decided to split from the group, arguing that he would be more successful on his own than with company.

Iroh, in the meantime, had spotted a pretty white and red flower. He squats in front of the plant, mesmerized.

A bush rustled violently and Zuko suddenly appeared. In frustration, he shouts "I didn't find anything to eat. I can't live like this. I wasn't meant to be a fugitive." He kicks at the ground in anger. "This is impossible!"

"Well, we can't give up. We're bound to find something to eat eventually." Liling said encouragingly. She would have kept going, but Iroh suddenly sniffed loudly. Liling and Zuko turned to look at him, their eyebrows arched.

"Uncle... what are you doing?" Zuko says, his voice much more calm than before.

Not looking away from the plant, Iroh replies "You're looking at the rare white dragon bush." His voice taking on a loving tone, he further explained "Its leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking!" Stroking his beard pensively, Iroh gravely added "That, or it's the white jade bush, which is poisonous."

Zuko sighed exasperatedly before saying "We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing. Liling, I could use your help. Would you come with me?"

Liling nodded, clasping her hands together in front of her, before following Zuko back into the woods.

They left Iroh contemplating whether or not he should risk drinking the tea. "Delectable tea? Or deadly poison?"

* * *

It wasn't long before Zuko and Liling return from their fishing trip, both of them carrying a long fishing pole. Zuko is scowling, having only speared a minnow. It wiggles pathetically. Liling had had somewhat better luck and had speared two minnows. It still wasn't nearly enough to make an actual meal out of.

"Remember that plant that I thought might be tea?" Iroh says, still sitting on the ground, his back turned to the duo.

"You didn't!" Liling cried, running towards him. But she needn't have for Iroh turned to face them.

"I did." Iroh turns around to reveal his red, swollen face which he is currently scratching vigorously. "And it wasn't." he added, though it was apparent without the comment.

Both Liling and Zuko stagger back, repulsed. "Yah!" Zuko cries in horror.

"When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing." Iroh calmly says while furiously scratching his body. He stands up and excitedly cries "But look what I found! These are bacui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade plant. That, or macahoni berries that cause blindness."

"We're not taking any more chances with these plants! We need to get help." Zuko shouts as Liling slaps the berries out of Iroh's hands.

"But where are we going to go? We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom, and fugitives from the Fire Nation." Iroh inquired.

"If the Earth Kingdom, discovers us, they'll have us killed." Zuko muses.

"But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula." Liling pointed out.

The three of them look at each other and nod in agreement. "Earth Kingdom it is." Zuko said as they walked off, the miniscule fish left abandoned on the ground.

* * *

After nearly an hour of walking, the trio stumbled across a village. After asking around, they finally found someone who would help Iroh.

After hearing their story, the apothecary owner giggled and said "You three must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the white jade, much less make it into tea and drink it."

Iroh smiled sheepishly before saying "Heh heh heh. Whoops!"

"So where are you traveling from?" she asked.

"Yes, we're travelers." Zuko said quickly, offering no other information.

Choosing to ignore this, she moved on by asking "Do you have names?"

"Names Of course we have names. I'm…" Liling trailed off, struggling to think of a good cover up.

"I'm Lee. She's Ling. And this is my Uncle, uh... Mushi." Zuko put in quickly.

Iroh shoots him an unhappy look from behind the apothecary's back before facetiously adding "Yes, but my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him Junior."

Zuko balls his fist up at Iroh for the name he has been bestowed.

"Lee, Ling, and Mushi, huh? My name is Song. You three look like you could use a good meal." She notices Iroh is scratching at his rash and swats his hand away. "Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Sorry, but we need to be moving on." Zuko replies shortly.

Song sighed lightly before replying "That's too bad. My mom always makes too much roast duck."

Iroh stomped on Zuko's foot, cut off his 'no' and asked "Where do you live, exactly?"

* * *

Song's mother sets a massive roast duck on the table before seating herself. "My daughter tells me you're refugees. We were once refugees ourselves."

"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away. That was the last time I saw my father." Song added sadly.

Zuko lowers his gaze as he replies "I haven't seen my father in many years."

"Oh. Is he fighting in the war?" Song inquired, clasping her hands in interest.

Iroh finishes slurping a mouthful of noodles as he looks with some trepidation at his nephew to see how he will answer this dangerous question. Liling mournfully glances at Zuko, sliding her hand closer to Zuko's in case he needed her. Zuko puts his bowl on the table and simply says "Yeah." before looking away again.

* * *

It was long before Liling, Zuko, and Iroh leave Song's house. They stand in her courtyard, where fireflies buzz lazily around them. Song and her mother stand in the doorway, bidding them goodbye.

Iroh bows and graciously says "Thank you for the duck. It was excellent."

Song's mother airily waved him off and replied "You're welcome." She then hands him a package of leftover roast duck. "It brings me joy to see someone eat my cooking with such... gusto."

Iroh happily pats his stomach as he replies "Much practice."

Liling held her hands out in front of them and bows deeply. "You don't know how appreciated your kindness has been. Thank you for your hospitality."

Song's eyes flit over to Zuko before looking at Liling and smiles. "It's our pleasure to help any war refugees we meet. Knowing we brought you three some joy during these hard times is thanks enough."

Zuko turns to leave, but Iroh stops him, snagging his sleeve and bringing his retreat to a halt. "Junior, where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people."

Zuko turns and offers a small bow, his face still obscured by his coolie hat. "Thank you." Zuko says quietly.

"I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world, but there is hope. The Avatar has returned!" Song says quickly, her arms spread wide in hope.

"I know." Zuko says intensely. He walks off, Iroh in tow. Liling offers their hosts a small wave before following them.

As they pass the courtyard gate the see a stable where an ostrich horse is tethered. Zuko stops, looks at the animal, and then looks back at the courtyard, making sure that no one was watching. He releases the ostrich and begins to lead it away with them.

"What are you doing? These people just showed you great kindness." Iroh asks, appalled.

"They're about to show us a little more kindness." He offers his hand to Iroh and asks "Well?"

"Zuko, we can't do that. They have nothing. It was a sacrifice enough on their part to share a single meal with us." Liling says, her voice hard.

"Look, we have a long way to go if we want to find the Avatar. We need this ride if we want to even stand a chance of finding him. Let's go." With that, Zuko swings onto the ostrich horse.

Iroh and Liling exchange dubious looks before deciding they have no other choice. Liling gets on behind Zuko, Iroh taking the rear. They ride off in silence, the happy mood from the earlier meal spoiled.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Playing With Fire**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC

* * *

Iroh, Liling, and Zuko sit on straw mats, their stolen ostrich horse behind them. Iroh holds his hat in his hand. A pedestrian walks in front of Iroh, who holds his hat out to him and asks "Spare coins for weary travelers?" The man throws a few copper coins into Iroh's hat, joining the dozen that were already there.

As the man leaves, Zuko angrily turns to Iroh and shouts "This is humiliating! We are _royalty_. These people should be giving us whatever we want."

"They will if you ask nicely." Liling explained as a young woman approaches Iroh.

In a weak voice he asks "Spare change for a hungry old man?"

"Aww," the woman coos happily and produces a coin from her sleeve. "Here you go." she says, dropping it into the hat.

Iroh beams up at her and says appreciatively "The coin is appreciated, but not as much as your smile."

Zuko slaps his forehead in frustration and disbelief. The young woman giggles and walks away.

A man carrying a pair of broadswords on his back wanders by the opposite direction as the girl. He stops and addresses the trio. Sneering down at them, he says "How about some entertainment in exchange for a gold piece."

"We're not performers." Zuko quickly snaps.

Ignoring Zuko's comment, Iroh hands the hat to Liling and stands up. "Not professional, anyway." He straightens up, clasps his hands together, he begins to sing. "It's a long, long way to Ba-Sing-Se, but the girls in the city they look soo pretty!"

Displeased, the man shouts "Come on! We're talking a gold piece here! Let's see some action!" He whips out his broadswords angrily. Zuko's eyes burn with anger while Liling's shine with fear at what that man planned to do to Iroh.

"Dance!" he orders, pointing a sword at Iroh. Zuko makes to move but Liling tightly holds his hand in her own, holding him back. If anything happened to Iroh, she would personally deal with the man herself. But until that happened, they couldn't give themselves away, especially since he already had his weapons drawn.

The Broadsword Man begins to swing his swords at Iroh's legs. Iroh hops up and down to avoid the blows while continuing his song. "And they kiss so sweet that you've really got to meet the girls from Ba-Sing-Se!"

Zuko grits his teeth and squeezes Liling's hand, holding himself back.

The man with the broad swords laughed. "Hahaha! Nothing like a fat man dancing for his dinner." He tosses a coin at Iroh and chuckles again. "Here ya go!"

Iroh leans down and picks up the coin as the man walks away, resheathing his swords. Iroh sits back down as they all look towards their benefactor's retreating back. "Such a kind man!" Iroh sincerely says.

Zuko looks both angry and humiliated, while Liling looks both worried and relieved. As Zuko looks away, unable to even look at Iroh, Liling scoots over to him and leans her head against his shoulder, shutting her eyes. This was not how she thought exile would be.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Separated**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Iroh and Liling sit cross legged within a desolate cave, discussing their next move when Zuko suddenly storms in and throws baskets laden with food down in front of them. As Iroh riffles through their contents, Liling looks up at Zuko, her forehead creased with worry, and asks "Where did you get all of this?"

"What does it matter where they came from?" Zuko asked shortly, already walking out of the cave, presumably in search of more food.

"Hmm…" Iroh mused seriously before taking a bite of a pastry. His eyes widen in delight as he moans appreciatively. "Mmmm!"

Liling watched his retreating figure as she scowled into the food. She was starving, they all were, but stealing from poor villagers wasn't the solution. It was wrong. She watched as Iroh finished the pastry with obvious enjoyment. He held one out to her and she took it in her hands, staring down at the desert with ambiguous emotion. Yes, it was wrong to steal the food, but at the same time, they desperately needed it, had no money, and it was already in their possession. With a reluctant sigh, she took a bite out of the pastry, erasing the gnawing in her stomach only to have it replaced by another.

* * *

"Looks like you did some serious shopping." Iroh walks around the fire and squats down, inspecting the gold teapot Zuko had placed in front of him. "But where did you get the money?"

Zuko avoids the question and gruffly asks "Do you like your new teapot?"

Iroh smiles slightly and says "To be honest with you, the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup." He walks over to Zuko who lies with his back to the opposite wall of the cave. "I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by." He puts his hand on Zuko's shoulder and continues, "But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honor in poverty."

"There's no honor for me without the Avatar." Zuko dismissively says, pulling away from Iroh's touch.

"Zuko…" Liling begins with a heavy sigh. "Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now."

"Then there is no hope at all." Zuko abruptly and surely replies. He then turns to get up.

Iroh reaches for him and quickly cries "No, Zuko! You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength."

Zuko looks back at his uncle for a moment, then gets up to leave. He walks away from the cave. Iroh hangs his head as he watches Zuko go. Liling gently wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for a loose hug. Iroh returns the embrace. The two remain in that position for a moment longer, silently comforting each other, before sorting through the baskets of food and other tasteful goods. After all, it would be a shame if they went to waste.

* * *

Zuko was not gone long, however. When he arrived, he walked straight up to Iroh and said bluntly "Uncle, I thought a lot about what you said."

Iroh looks pleased as he happily replies "You did? Good, good."

Zuko, without malice, but also without hesitation, explains "It's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together. I need to find my own way."

Iroh looks down and slumps slightly in sadness. Liling quickly flits over to them and exclaims "Zuko, you're leaving? You can't be serious?" She reaches for his hand but he pulls away.

Not able to look her in the eyes, he keeps them trained on her shoulder as he provides "I am serious. I'm leaving now. Goodbye." With that, Zuko picks up his rucksack and begins to walk away.

"Wait!" Iroh calls after him. Zuko turns to see him leading their stolen ostrich horse and places the reigns in Zuko's hands. Zuko looks back at his uncle once, then shakes the reigns and gallops away, Iroh and Liling mournfully watching him go.

Once Zuko was out of sight, Liling turned to Iroh and inquired "Do you think he'll come back?"

Blinking, he turned towards his daughter and replied "When he's ready, he'll be back."

"He'd better." Liling said, turning from Iroh to the path Zuko had trotted down, as though expecting to see him coming back. She was disappointed to see that he wasn't.


	14. Chapter 14

**Huge shout out and thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and followed "White Jasmine"! It means so much to me to know that you guys are actually interested in what I write and I love reading the reviews you leave because it's nice knowing that people enjoy my story. Thank you all so much and I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: An Unexpected Meeting**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Iroh, it's been over a week since Zuko left. Are you sure we're tracking him correctly?" Liling asked as they leaned against a rock, taking their first break of the day. They had been walking since sunrise and hadn't stopped for the past five hours.

Looking at nothing in particular, Iroh replied, "I believe we will find him eventually. We just cannot lose hope."

Liling nodded, seeing the wisdom in that. "Well as long as nothing gets in our way we should be fine."

Suddenly the earth around them erupted, causing the rock they were leaning against to explode against them, knocking them to the ground. "You just had to say that, didn't you?" Iroh asked as they rubbed their sore joints, picking themselves up from the dusty ground. "Ohhh... That really hurt my tailbone." he added the last part as an afterthought.

"What could have caused that?" Liling questioned, gently massaging her head.

"I did." a small, yet defiant voice called. Looking up, Liling and Iroh gazed upon a small girl with massive black hair tucked into a bun and an Earth Kingdom outfit that consisted of various shades of greens. The most notable feature was that her eyes were blank; clearly she was blind.

"Who are you?" Liling called up to her in a gentle voice.

"I'm Toph Beifong. And you two are?" Toph called down from the rock.

Liling and Iroh exchanged a quick look. Dare they tell her who they were? Deciding against speaking truthfully, Liling quickly supplied, "My name's Ling and this is my father, Mushi."

Toph laughed heartily before replying "I know you're lying. I can sense your elevated heart rate through the ground."

Not expecting to hear that, Liling exchanged a quick look with Iroh. He simply shrugged his shoulders, signalling that he didn't see a problem with telling the truth. Sighing defeatedly, Liling replied, "Fine. You caught us. If you must know the truth, I'm Princess Liling and this is General Iroh. We're wanted fugitives in the Fire Nation."

Toph's frown stayed etched on her face for another second before she smiled. Sliding down the rock, she stopped in between the two of them and said "Well that makes three of us. I was traveling with the Avatar up until recently so anybody the Fire Nation wants taken out must be good company."

Iroh and Liling smiled down at her before realizing she couldn't see them doing so. "Would you like to join us for a cup of tea?" Iroh asked her hospitably.

Toph pondered the offer before grinning and replied "Sure, why not?"

It wasn't long before Liling had a small campfire going, blue flames twisting towards the sky. The three of them sat around it as Iroh pours the tea. He offers Toph the cup, but she doesn't take it immediately.

"Here is your tea. You seem a little too young to be traveling alone." Iroh points out as Toph finally accepts the cup.

As she takes it, Toph replies "You seem a little too old."

Laughing, Iroh replies "Perhaps I am. I don't know what I would do without Liling traveling with me."

Shoving him lightly in the ribs, Liling said, "You know you would be just fine without me, Iroh."

After that, the trio fell into silence. However, the quiet was ended when Toph suddenly interjected, "I know what you're thinking. I look like I can't handle being by myself."

"Neither of us were thinking that." Liling promised her earnestly.

"You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea." Toph pointed out, taking a sip of her tea.

"I poured your tea because I wanted to and for no other reason." Iroh said seriously.

Frustrated, Toph clenched the teacup harder. "People see me and think I'm weak. They want to take care of me. But I can take care of myself by myself."

"You sound like my cousin." Liling told her with a small smirk.

"Always thinking you need to do things on your own without anyone's support. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you. Not that I love you; I just met you." Iroh adds, finishing with a light laugh.

Toph laughed as well before asking "So, where is your nephew?"

"We've been tracking him for sometime, actually." Liling informed her.

Arching an eyebrow, Toph asks, "Is he lost?"

A concerned look flitting across his face, Iroh says, "Yes, a little bit. His life has recently changed and he's going through very difficult times. He is trying to figure out who he is and he went away."

"So... now you're following him?" Toph asked, though she already knew the answer.

"I know he doesn't want me, want either of us, around right now, but, if he needs us, we'll be there." Liling said softly.

"Your nephew," Toph began, looking at Iroh, "and cousin," she added, looking at Liling, "is very lucky, even if he doesn't know it." She stands up, then, and adds "Thank you."

"My pleasure. Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights." Iroh says, offering a friendly smile.

"No, thank you for what you said. It helped me." Toph replies earnestly, handing her empty cup to Liling.

"I'm glad." Iroh says simply.

"Take care, Toph. I feel sorry for anyone who gets in your way." Liling added, waving her off.

"You too. The Fire Nation would be in better hands with you two back in it." Toph picks up her bag and begins to leave, but turns back briefly to say "Oh, and about your nephew, and that cousin of yours? Maybe you should tell him that you need him too."

Iroh considers this as he takes a sip of his tea. Liling watches her leave, putting out the fire as she does, smiling slightly at the departing figure of their new friend.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: An Unexpected Reunion**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Did you see that?" Iroh asks suddenly. He and Liling had been walking for a while and had left the woods behind them several miles ago. Now they were standing in a dusty clearing, a desolate, uninhabited village the only thing in sight. Iroh pointed up at a massive column of lightning, lightning so powerful that from several hundred feet away it was causing the duo's hair to stand on end. There was only one person apart from them who could conjure up a lightning storm that large.

"Azula," Liling muttered remorsefully under her breath. She wasn't eager for a rematch with her former friend, but if Azula was there, that meant something serious was going on. She was all too familiar with Azula taking over Zuko's hunt for the Avatar, having recruited their old friends Mai and Ty Lee to help her on her mission. So if Azula was generating that much lightning in such a remote location, that must mean she was attacking the Avatar. And if the Avatar was there, there was a good chance Zuko would be there as well, after all nothing would draw him into the open more than his twisted sister and the Avatar together. Knowing there was no other option, she unclenched her fist and said, "We have no choice but to investigate."

Nodding solemnly, Iroh stealthily led the way towards the town. When they arrived, Liling saw that her hunch was correct. Azula was fighting the Avatar, Zuko lying on the ground nearby, immobile. Upon seeing him in such disarray, Liling and Iroh flew over to him. Zuko wakes up slowly at their fast approach. "Uncle… Liling…" he trails off, rubbing his temples in confusion.

"Get up!" Iroh hisses impatiently as he and Liling help him to his feet.

"Ugh... what are you two doing here?" he inquired dizzily.

"That's not important right now. We need to focus on getting out of here alive." Liling quickly told him, pushing Zuko out of the way of a stray lightning bolt. "Which will be easier said then done." she added as Zuko swayed to the side, collapsing into Iroh's side. Iroh tightly wrapped his arms around his nephew's forearm and hoisted him up. Zuko shook his head vigorously to clear the remaining fogginess from it before pulling slightly out of Iroh's grasp to see if he could actually support himself. He smirked slightly upon finding himself successful.

Once Zuko was on his own feet again, the firebending trio looked around and saw the Avatar's gang had made an appearance as well. Sokka, Katara, and Toph were helping Aang close in on Azula. Liling, Iroh, and Zuko joined them in their endeavor. It is soon apparent Azula had nowhere to go. Clenching her fists in fury, Azula spat venomously, "Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors all working together. I'm done. I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor." Azula raises her hands in surrender. However, this does not cause the others to relax their fighting stances.

Liling scrunched her nose in suspicion, wondering what Azula was playing at, given that there was no way Azula would ever willingly surrender to anyone. She would fight to the last breath, only being truly beaten when rendered incapacitated. Suddenly, Azula pulls her arms back before unleashing a whip of lightning, straight towards Iroh's chest, catching the old man off guard.

Iroh spins slowly through the air and falls to the ground with a thud. Liling screams in grief before turning towards Azula again, unleashing her rage in the form of lightning. The four other benders join her, firing simultaneously at Azula and Sokka throws his boomerang in the heart of the elemental stream. Azula makes a shield of blue fire to protect herself, but the combined blows of the forces directed at her cause a tremendous explosion. Unfortunately, when the smoke clears, Azula is gone, having disappeared in the midst of the confusion.

Nearby, Zuko and Liling kneel in despair beside Iroh, who lies still on the ground where he fell. Iroh groans softly as Zuko clenches his fist in anger. Liling holds Iroh's head in her lap, pushing his matted bangs out of his face in a comforting gesture. The others approach from behind. Zuko whips around to address the Avatar and his party. "Get away from us!" Zuko shouts angrily like a wounded animal. He turns back to Iroh as Liling shuts her eyes, tears spilling out from them. She had already lost her beloved brother, Lu Ten, to the war. When that had happened, Iroh had been the last remaining member of her family given her mother had died when she was much younger. She couldn't lose him as well, wouldn't lose him as well.

Katara walks forward and offers, "Liling, Zuko, I can help! Please let me!"

Zuko turns on them and grievously unleashes a wave of fire over their heads. "Leave!" he shouts again. The Aang Gang does just that, mournfully turning away from the saddening display, knowing they could do nothing to sway Zuko and help Iroh.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Struck By Lightning**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"How much longer is he going to be out?" Zuko cried out in rage, punching the wall in grief.

Liling looked up at him, wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye, and replied "I don't know. It's only been a few hours and he did take a full shock of lightning directly to the chest. He could be out for a few days _if_ he ever wakes up at all." With that, she went back to gently wiping Iroh's forehead with a damp rag.

The two teens then continued to sit in strained silence. After a few more hours, Iroh groaned and slurred "My beloved Lu Ten, I will see you again."

"Zuko! Iroh's waking up!" Liling whispered happily as not to startle Iroh. She gently removed the cloth from his forehead as he begins to sit up. "Iroh!" Liling shouts happily, throwing her arms around him as he struggled to sit up. Iroh weakly hugged her back, confused as to what was going on.

"Uncle! You were unconscious. Azula did this to you." Zuko explained upon seeing Iroh's blank face.

"It was a surprise attack." Liling added bitterly.

Iroh chuckled darkly before replying "Somehow, that's not so surprising." He grunts in pain as he moves to lean up against the wall.

Liling picks up a steaming cup and hands it to Iroh. "I hope I made it the way you like it. Zuko tried to, um, _help_ , but I took care of most of it."

Iroh takes a sip from the cup and his sighs happily. "Mmm, good. That was very strong!"

"So I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her." Zuko sighs in acknowledgement.

Iroh shook his head and corrected Zuko's previous statement. "No, she's crazy and she needs to go down." Iroh grunts, standing up. "It's time to resume your training."

"Now this will be fun." Liling chuckled, standing up as well and stretching. She was going to enjoy this.

* * *

"Lightning is a pure expression of firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire." Iroh takes the tea kettle off the fire and pours it into another pot. He then begins to pour three cups. "It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind."

He hands a cup to Liling before handing the other to Zuko.

"I see. That's why we're drinking tea: To calm the mind." Zuko said observantly, taking a sip.

Iroh, who had been downing his cup heartily, quickly said "Oh yeah, good point! I mean, yes."

Liling lightly snorted into her cup. Knowing Iroh, he had just wanted a cup of tea. The world could be ending and all Iroh would want to do would be sit down and have a cup of tea.

Once their beverages were finished, the three of them stood up and went outside train. They stood on the edge of a hill overlooking the valley with the walled, abandoned city they had battled Azula in at the bottom.

"There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang; positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together. You provide release and guidance, creating lightning." Iroh explained, moving his hands for emphasis. "Now for a demonstration. Liling, if you would care to join me."

Liling nodded before walking over to Iroh. Iroh holds out a hand, signaling for Zuko to step back. The two of them take firebending stances and begin to bend. They hold their right hands against their sides and with two fingers extended they each begin to create lightning by rotating their arms in a circular motion around their bodies. They then mimic the motion with their left arm. Zuko looks impressed. They then bring their two hands together and lunge forward with their right hands extended and shoot lightning into the distance. The streams cross, creating a dazzling display that cackles loudly with energy.

"I'm ready to try it!" Zuko exclaims readily as the lightning comes to a stop.

Iroh, rubbing his injured shoulder slightly, instructs "Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Breathe first."

Zuko breathes in and closes his eyes. He then begins to mimic the motions that Iroh and Liling had performed, except that he does not create traces of lightning. He shouts and shoves his right hand forward, but it merely causes a fiery explosion that shoves him backward. He falls on his back next to Iroh. Iroh shakes his head slightly, recognizing that Zuko is unable to control lightning at the moment.

* * *

Zuko had been practicing for hours yet he still couldn't create lightning. Rather, each time he tried he ended up getting blown back by an explosion. With a frustrated look on his face, Zuko clenches his fist. Iroh and Liling look on while leaning against the building. "Why can't I do it? Instead of lightning, it keeps exploding in my face! Like everything always does!"

Iroh gets up from his spot and walks over to Zuko. Zuko stands up and dusts himself off. "I was afraid this might happen. You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you."

Zuko turns to him, an angry look on his face. "What turmoil?"

"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away." Liling explained.

"But I don't feel any shame at all! I'm as proud as ever!" Zuko shouted.

Shaking his head, Iroh replied "Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."

Finally calmed down, Zuko sighed "Well... my life has been nothing but humbling lately."

"I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself!" He points a thumb toward himself and smirks slightly. Zuko smiles, hoping he'll successfully be able to pull it off.

Iroh begins drawing the symbols of each of the bending disciplines in the dirt with a stick as he explains them. Zuko and Liling sit cross-legged nearby, observing intently. "Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humor!" Iroh smiles widely, expecting immediate laughter.

Liling laughs lightly, but Zuko doesn't react. Ignoring the weak response, Iroh continued, "Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

"Why are you telling me these things?" Zuko inquires, slightly confused.

"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." Iroh draws lines separating the four symbols in the dirt. "Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole."

"All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff." Zuko spits.

"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But, it can make you more powerful too." He pokes Zuko's chest with his stick. "You see, the technique I am about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders."

Zuko looks intrigued by the idea. "It's similar to firebending because you are bending, well, redirecting, lightning, but it requires you to maneuver in a way that firebenders normally don't." Liling told him, standing up in case Iroh wanted to use her as a demonstration again.

"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponents' energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning." Iroh explained with a small smirk.

"You can teach me to redirect lightning?" Zuko exclaimed excitedly, eager to learn such a trick.

Nodding, Iroh explained "If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it." He points with his right arm at an angle into the air and points at it with his other hand. "You must create a pathway from your fingertips up your arm to your shoulder and down into your stomach." He moves his left hand from his arm, to his shoulder, and then to his stomach. "The stomach is the source of energy in your body. It is called the sea of chi. Only in my case, it is more like a vast ocean." He laughs. Liling nudges him in the stomach as Zuko remains stoic. "You direct it up again and out the other arm." He points off into the distance with his left arm. "The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart," He walks up to Zuko and points his fingers at his chest, "Or the damage could be deadly. You may wish to try a physical motion to get a feel for the pathways flow. Like this." He points to the left with both his arms and Zuko mimics the motion. Iroh then takes his right arm and points it in the other direction. Zuko copies this move as well. Iroh and Zuko then move their left arms to the right and back again. "Now, are you focusing your energy Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up, and out?"

"I think so." Zuko says hopefully. He continues to mimic the motions Iroh showed him.

Liling begins to move her arms in waving motions at her sides. "Come on. You've got to feel the flow."

Zuko makes the move again and Iroh approves. "Excellent! You've got it!"

Zuko bows slightly, putting his hands together. "Great! I'm ready to try it with real lightning!"

Iroh gives Zuko a questioning look and cries "What, are you crazy? Lightning is very dangerous."

Annoyed, Zuko replies "I thought that was the point: you teaching me how to protect myself from it."

Frantically Iroh shouts "But I'm not going to shoot lightning at you!" He waves his arms around defensively. He turns away from Zuko and looks at him out of the corner of his eye. "If you are lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all."

Zuko quickly storms over to Liling and says "Then you do it! I'll only know if I can do if I practice with actual lightning. Spar with me."

Liling held her hands up in mock surrender and exclaims "Zuko, lightning is very dangerous-"

"I know it's dangerous! That's why I want to practice!" Zuko roared, fire shooting out of his mouth in anger.

"You want lightning shot at you? Well fine!" Liling shouted suddenly, pointing a finger at Zuko. Zuko quickly took his blocking stance as Liling let loose a fierce lightning strike. Quickly shooting his hand out, Zuko let the lightning strike his hand, rerouted it through his stomach, and shot it harmlessly into the air.

Iroh and Liling both stared wordlessly at Zuko, their mouths hanging open in shock. Liling quickly overcame her shock and cried "Zuko! You just correctly redirected lightning! That was amazing!"

Zuko gazed at his hands in disbelief before exclaiming "Let's go again! I need to practice!"

Liling sunk into a fighting stance and said "When you're ready." Zuko mimicked her. They began sparring fiercely, training harder than either of them had in awhile.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: I got my driver's licence today! To celebrate, here's a new chapter. Hope you lot enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Order of the White Lotus**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

The trio had been riding for hours on the back of the ostrich horse and Iroh had begun complaining audibly, groaning and swaying from the back. "Maybe we should make camp." Zuko suggested.

"No, please, don't stop for me!" Iroh groans in an obviously pained voice.

"It's probably for the best." Liling replied, ignoring Iroh's comment.

Iroh lets out several more pained groans before Zuko finally pulls the reigns of the ostrich horse, stopping it. He and Liling dismount before helping Iroh do the same. Iroh moans yet again and takes a seat on a large flat rock. Suddenly the ostrich horse perks up, pricking its ears. Clearly, it detects something unusual. Zuko and Liling quickly take defensive positions, cautiously awaiting whatever may emerge from the surrounding foliage.

"What now?" Iroh whines in an annoyed tone. A group of thuggish looking Fire Nation troops on rhinos streak through the foliage around them, beleaguering the trio, their weapons drawn. Zuko and Liling hold their defensive postures, Zuko eyeing the newcomers, Liling eyeing Iroh to gauge his reaction. Surprisingly, Iroh brightens and places a hand on each of their shoulders to still them and warmly greets their guests. "Colonel Mongke! What a pleasant surprise!"

Mongke, the leader of the thugs, ignores the friendly greeting and leers down at Iroh. "If you're surprised we're here then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps." He emphasizes his threatening remarks by making sparks with his bracers. His men, following his example, ready their weapons and act to close the distance between them and the traitors.

"You know these guys?" Zuko asks Iroh, not lowering his raised fists nor out of his slight crouch.

Iroh nods before explaining, "Sure. Colonel Mongke and the Rough Riders are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapons specialist. They are also a very capable singing group." He adds the last part as an after thought, pensively stroking his beard in thought.

"We're not here to give a concert. We're here to apprehend fugitives!" Mongke snaps, disregarding the complement and denoting to the three of them.

"Would you like some tea first? I'd love some. How about you, Kachi? I make you as a jasmine man. Am I right?" Iroh asks, both ignoring Mongke and stalling for time.

"Enough stalling!" Mongke ordered fiercely, seeing through Iroh's pleasantries.

"I agree completely." Liling replied with a small smirk, slipping into a bending stance. She had relaxed it initially when Iroh placed his hand on her shoulder, but saw that they were soon about to be attacked and decided that a defensive posture was the best one to take.

"Round 'em up!" Mongke commanded, nostrils flaring, as he charged towards the trio.

The dark skinned, pony tailed fighter swings his ball and chain at Iroh. Iroh's pleasant demeanor fades as he whips around and powerfully kicks the ball away. The iron ball, redirected, wraps its chain around the foot of another warrior's rhino. Not being given the chance to savor this small victory, Iroh dodges the fire blasts that are being blasted at him by tumbling along the ground. He rises back up to swat the rump of the rhino that had been just recently chained up. The rhino runs off, yanking the dark-skinned warrior who had one end of the chain attached to his belt as well as its own rider. Iroh waves smugly as he watches them go.

The archer shoots a lit arrow at Zuko's back. Zuko senses the arrow, turns, and extends the edge of his hand, snapping the arrow apart as it approaches him. Zuko then lets loose a fire blast, which burns a hole in the archer's bow, a hand's width above the archer's actual hand. The blast passes through the bow and breaks the string, rendering the contraption useless.

Another member snaps his flail at Liling who flips out of the way before turning midway in the air and bringing her foot, now shooting flames, down onto the chain, disconnecting the spiky ball from the rest of the weapon. As the man sadly gazes at his broken weapon, Liling sends a small blast of lightning at the feet of his rhino, causing it to gallop away. The man, unprepared for the rapid, jerky movement of the animal beneath him, is bucked off. As he falls, Liling leaps behind him and sweeps his legs out from under him. He hits the ground with a dull thud, the breath knocked out of him, and stays on the ground, groaning in pain.

Mongke lets loose fire blast after fire blast at Iroh, who deflects each of them in turn. Zuko runs up and jumps on the back of Mongke's rhino behind him. A brief scramble ensues, with Mongke quickly being kicked off the rhino by Zuko.

Iroh runs up to an ostrich horse, jumps up on the saddle, and rides over to Zuko and Liling, who had soon begun helping Zuko duel Mongke. Liling avoids Mongke's latest attack and jumps onto the back of Iroh's ostrich horse. They then move over to Zuko who jumps from Mongke's rhino into the saddle as Iroh gallops by. The armored warrior, riding in pursuit, throws a grenade at the fleeing ostrich horse. The grenade explodes ahead of the ostrich horse, but Iroh, Liling, and Zuko are able to ride through the explosion unharmed.

"It's nice to see old friends." Iroh says nostalgically as they speed away.

"Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to attack us." Liling bitterly remarked, looking behind them to ensure that no one was tailing them.

Iroh strokes his beard, pondering the statement thoughtfully. "Hmm... Old friends that don't want to attack me…" He suddenly gets and idea and speeds off even faster.

* * *

It wasn't long before Iroh stopped the ostrich horse in a small, dusty town in the middle of an Earth Kingdom desert. They enter a bar and sit down at a table in the far corner, doing their best to keep out of sight of the other patrons. "No one here is going to help us. These people just look like poor, filthy wanderers." Zuko grumbles under his breath, crossing his arms tightly across his chest and slumping in his seat.

"So do we." Liling points out, denoting to their current ragged appearances.

Iroh ignores the two teen's conversation as his eyes roam the bar, clearly looking for something or someone. "Ah," he says after a moment, "This is interesting. I think I've found our friend."

Both Liling and Zuko turn to look where Iroh is pointing. "You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho?" Zuko asks incredulously, his eyes widening in both surprise and fury at the sight of a bald man sitting at a Pai Sho table.

"I don't think this is a gamble." Iroh says quietly, more to himself than anyone else, standing up.

The trio gets up and walk over to the man with the Pai Sho board. "May I have this game?" Iroh asks, sitting down across from the man. Zuko and Liling sit on either side of him.

The man nods in acknowledgement and says, "The guest has the first move." Iroh places the lotus tile in the middle of the board as the man carefully observes his move. "I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways."

"Those who do can always find a friend." Iroh says wisely, fingers itching to move another piece.

"Then let us play." The old Pai Sho player places another tile on the board. Iroh quickly places another tile as well. Zuko and Liling watch intently as the two men place tile after tile on the board in rapid succession. When they are done, the tiles form the shape of a lotus, with the lotus tile in the center.

The Pai Sho player looks from the board to Iroh, a knowing grin plastered on his face. "Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets." the Pai Sho player says warmly.

"What are you old gasbags talking about?" Zuko snaps, frustrated. They had just recently been ambushed, barely escaping with their lives, and the best idea Iroh could come up with to get them some help was play Pai Sho with a shady stranger in an even shadier bar. His eyes warily scan the room, searching for any sign of danger. The three of them were wanted by virtually everyone and would captured and killed if anyone recognized them, fervently praying no one would.

Liling lightly rapped him on the knuckles and reprimanded him. "Zuko!" She did not take kindly to him referring to Iroh as a 'gasbag'.

"I always tried to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game." Iroh added, giving Zuko a patronizing look. Iroh rolls a tile over his knuckles and clutches it.

Suddenly two men stormed over to them and shouted, "You three fugitives are coming with me!"

The trio exchanges a nervous look as the Pai Sho player exclaims, "I knew it! You two are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!"

"I thought you said he would _help!_ " Zuko shouts at Iroh, knowing something like this would happen.

"He is. Just watch." Iroh patiently remarks, denoting to the scene that was playing out.

"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold?" the Pai Sho player exclaims loudly enough for entire bar to hear. All the other patrons begin to encroach upon them, hungry glints in their eyes, and some muttering the word 'gold' excitedly under their breath. Several of them pull out knives and approach the group around the Pai Sho table.

The two earthbenders who initially approached the trio are surrounded. One of them spins around and delivers a reverse roundhouse kick, bending a rock from the ground which knocks the two men away. The other enters his stance and bends the earth underneath one of the assailants, causing him to sink into the ground up to his neck. The first is handling a group of sandbenders. He has one lifted in the air with one hand and holds back another sandbender with the other hand. The second promptly kicks any other sandbender that comes near. He twists his waist and throws the two sandbenders he's holding. One goes flying and smashes into the wall behind the bartender.

The trio and the Pai Sho player speedily run out of the building while everyone is distracted. By the time the two bounty hunting earthbenders are finished, the trio is gone, as is the Pai Sho player.

* * *

Liling, Zuko, Iroh and the Pai Sho player enter one of the buildings in the village. The Pai Sho player makes sure than no one is watching before gently shutting the door. Inside it becomes apparent that the building is a flower shop. Bowing for Iroh, he says "It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets."

"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is this club going to offer some real help?" Zuko snapped impatiently.

Shaking his head slightly, Iroh replies, "You must forgive my nephew. He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts."

The Pai Sho player knocks on a door in the back. A small window in the middle slides open and a man peeks through. "Who knocks at the garden gate?" he asks.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." Iroh answers smartly. The door is opened and Iroh and the Pai Sho player enter. Zuko attempts to follow them, but the door is shut in his face. Iroh slides open the door's window. "I'm afraid it's members only. Wait out here with Liling."

Zuko frowns and crosses his arms. He leans over to a nearby plant and sniffs it before pulling away. "Why aren't you a White Lotus Member?" Zuko asks, looking at Liling who was admiring the plants as well.

Shrugging her delicate shoulders, she replies simply, "Because Iroh doesn't think I'm ready. I can shoot lightning as well as he can, firebend fire so hot it turns blue, and hold my own in a fight against several opponents, yet he doesn't think I am ready to join until I've gained more experience. But hey, at least I've got you as company."

Zuko nods in understanding. "I can definitely relate to having a Father who doesn't think you're ready no matter how hard you train."

Liling pales before walking over to him and gently holding his hand. "I didn't mean to insinuate that I can relate to how your father treated you. I'm sorry, Zuko."

"Don't worry about it. I'm used to it." Zuko replied softly, looking away from Liling. She opened her mouth to reply but couldn't find the words to express how truly sympathetic she felt.

* * *

After nearly an hour, the door opens and Iroh steps out, causing Zuko to awaken and go into a defensive stance.

"What's going on? Is the club meeting over?" Zuko slurs, shaking the sleep from his head.

Rolling her eyes, Liling puts her hands on Zuko's shoulders and says, "Relax. We're not under attack."

"Everything is taken care of. We're heading to Ba-Sing-Se." Iroh explained, quickly filling them in.

"Ba-Sing-Se? Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital? There has to been thousands of people there and we're wanted fugitives. The second they found out who we are, they'd be fighting each other just to turn us in for the reward number." Zuko inquires, lowering his defensive stance.

"The city is filled with refugees. No one will notice three more." The Pai Sho player logically counters.

"We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city." Iroh adds modestly.

The door opens and a man steps inside the flower shop. "I have the passports for our guests, but there are two men out on the streets looking for them."

Liling, Iroh, and Zuko rush over to the window and peek out of it, scanning the street to see two men with posters of their faces on it, inquiring if anyone has seen them. Realizing the severity of the situation, the trio move to duck out of the window and exchange nervous glances.

"Quick in here!" the Pai Sho player whispers, denoting to three empty barrels. The trio dive into them just as the men from outside enter and look for them. The store owner denies seeing them and clearly points out that they are not in his place of business. The men grumpily leaves as the three barrels are pushed out of the village, allowing the trio to begin their journey to Ba Sing Se.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: Because so many people have either left me questions about Liling in the 'review' section or have sent me PM's, I've decided to post a document that answers all the questions I've been asked. Anyone who has any questions not mentioned here, still feel free to message me but I hope that this does answer most of them.**

* * *

Q: Why does Liling call Iroh by his name rather than father or dad?

A: I always pictured Iroh having a very informal relationship with his children and would either want Liling to refer to him by his name or not stop her from calling him by his name.

Q: How old is Liling?

A: Because she is Azula's friend, or at least was her friend before she went into exile with Zuko, I always imagined Liling being of a similar age, so roughly 14 years old.

Q: Will this be a Zutara story?

A: No it won't. I put some thought into the idea but I ship Kataang more and so if I do end up shipping Zuko with anyone, it will probably be Mai.

Q: Will Liling and Zuko end up in a relationship?

A: No. I incorporated Liling into the story to add an extra POV to Zuko and Iroh's relationship, as well as an extra POV for Zuko's beautiful redemption arc. Plus, she and Zuko are cousins so it would be literal incest if they ended up together.

Q: Will Liling end up in a relationship with anyone?

A: Again, no. Liling is a strong, independent character who doesn't need a man to qualify these characteristics. She will not end up in _any_ romantic relationship in this story.

Q: Will I write a sequel?

A: Maybe. If the story is still going strong by the time I end it, then I would be happy to either write a sequel or a spin off story with or without Liling. I do know that I love this fandom and would love to write another story for it.

* * *

 **Chapter 18: The Freedom Fighters**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

The trio stands on the deck of a large ship as it emerges from a hidden inlet and out onto a great lake. Looking out upon the water, Iroh solemnly says, "Who would have thought, after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace… as a tourist." As he says this last bit, he turns towards Liling and Zuko, putting on a flowered straw hat and a wide grin.

"That's a fetching hat." Liling noted, adjusting the angle on Iroh's head so that it was now crooked.

Zuko finds no humor in the display and instead grimly replies, "Look around, we're not tourists, we're refugees." He sips from wooden bowl before spitting out the contents in patent disgust. "Ugh! I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt... I'm tired of living like this." Zuko leans against the rail despondently.

"Aren't we all?" a voice calls out to them. They turn to see three figures approaching them, all of them teenagers. "My name's Jet, and these are my freedom fighters, Smellerbee, and Longshot." The boy named Jet steps out toward the rail, his companions behind him.

"Hey," says Smellerbee in greeting. Longshot simply nods in greeting.

"Hello," Zuko greets them shortly, not turning away from the water, hoping the strangers would go away without attempting to make further conversation.

Stepping closer, Jet gets directly to the point of disturbing them. "Here's the deal. I hear the Captain's eating like a king, while us refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"What sort of "king" is he eating like?" Liling interjected curiously.

"The fat, happy kind." Jet replied, lightly smacking his stomach to emphasize his point. Iroh's mouth gapes open, drooling with envy, as he sadly looked at the bowl of slop that he had been provided with. "You want to help us "liberate" some food?" Jet inquires with a smug smile, knowing they couldn't resist his offer.

Zuko stares down into his bowl of gruel, considering Jet's offer for a moment before hurling the poor excuse for food out over the rail, the bowl and slop alike sailing across the horizon before being swallowed by the lake, the runny gruel coloring the surface a putrid gray. "I'm in," he says simply, his eyes hardening with determination, ready to do whatever it took to bring back some meaning into his life. He was sick of being treated like a peasant and wanted to take control of his life in his own hands, no matter how minor the control may be.

"Count me in, too." Liling added, tossing the slop, bowl and all, overboard with a fiery vengeance.

* * *

The group waited until nightfall before beginning their raid of the kitchen and the hunt for food. With the moon as their only source of light they stealthily slink out of their sleeping quarters and silently glide across the ship. As a guard passes by with a small lantern, Zuko leads Liling, Jet, and Smellerbee upstairs and around corner, making a beeline for the kitchen. They pause to look in the window, and upon discovering that it leads to the kitchen, the foursome slip around back. Jet forces the lock open while Smellerbee keeps watch, then the Zuko and Liling burst into kitchen. Jet sweeps several hanging bird carcasses into a sack with one of his hooked blades. Zuko uses his swords to nimbly stack eight bowls of food together, securing the stack with a ribbon. Liling simply approaches a shelf, raises her leg, and kicks it, causing several platters of food to fall into her opened sack before looping it over her shoulder. The trio shoulder their sacks and turn to the doorway.

"The guards are coming!" Smellerbee whispers frantically from outside.

Having finished gathering food just in time, the four of them rush to the balcony edge, while below Longshot fires a line-strung arrow into the railing. Upon checking to make sure it's secure, they send all three bundles slide down the line, followed by the four sneak-thieves themselves. The arrow is then pulled free from the railing just as another lantern-bearing guard walks past. They manage to steal safely away to the sleeping quarters, tucking away the food in a secure location so that it could be divvied out to the refugees the following morning.

* * *

Once daybreak arrives, Jet passes out food to the thankful and highly appreciative passengers while Liling, Iroh, and Zuko sit eating with Longshot and Smellerbee. "So, Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man." Iroh says, slurping up a noodle, unaware of the offense he has just made.

Peeved, Smellerbee snaps, "Maybe it's because I'm not a man. I'm a girl!" She shoots Iroh a dirty look, rises and storms off.

"Oh, now I see! It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!" Iroh calls after her, embarrassed, as Liling cackles lightly into her sleeve from his side.

Longshot quickly rises and follows, catching Smellerbee with a hand to her shoulder. He steps in front of her, giving her a hard look. "I know. You're right. As long as I'm confident with who I am, it doesn't matter what other people think. Thanks Longshot." He nods a stern approval.

Zuko, Liling, and Iroh are joined by Jet, who calmly sits down with them. "From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall." he says eagerly.

"It is a magnificent sight." Iroh nostalgically reminisces.

"So you've been there before?" Jet asks, intrigued.

"Once, when I was a different man." Iroh says before looking away with regret as Liling shoots him a worried glance.

Jet, glancing around, replies, "I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of. But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se, for a new beginning. A second chance."

"That's very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances." Iroh then shares a meaningful look with Zuko as Liling lightly placed a consoling hand on his knee, while Jet studies the trio.

* * *

Liling and Zuko stand at the prow looking toward the nearing shoreline. Jet approaches them from behind. Looking at Zuko, he says "You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were." Zuko glances warily at Jet who now stands next to him. "You're an outcast, like me. You both are. And us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other's backs, because no one else will."

Grimly, Zuko replies, "I've realized lately, that being on your own isn't always the best path." Zuko stares at the rocky cliffs of the opposite shore as they come into full view, wrapping his fingers around Liling's. She stares at their intertwined hands in shock before smiling up at Zuko. He had come so far over the past three years in terms of opening up to both her and Iroh. It was refreshing to see that he cared enough about her to even casually hold her hand. After another moment, she turned back towards the water and looked at the upcoming wall in awe, ready to be safe behind its impenetrable defenses.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Busted**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

After their boat docked on the ferry landing, the trio exited and made their way to the ticket gate. An Earth Kingdom official, a sour, heavy set woman with a large hairy mole above her eyebrow, looks over Iroh, Liling, and Zuko's papers dubiously. In an unpleasant tone she drawled, "So, Miss Ling, Mr. Lee, and Mr... um, Mushy is it?"

"It's pronounced Moo-shee." Iroh replied pleasantly, leaning over the counter to better talk to the woman.

Looking up from papers and angrily arching her eyebrows, she bitterly questioned, "You telling me how to do my job?"

Iroh, stepping closer, began, "Uh, no no no." In a charming voice, he continued, "But may I just say that you're like a flower in bloom, your beauty intoxicating."

The customs lady, smiling and obviously charmed, replies, "You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself handsome." Making a claw-like gesture, she purred. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se." Without further ado, she stamps their papers and pushes them forward, granting them access to the city.

Once out of eye shot from the ticket courier, Zuko, snatching his papers from Iroh disgustedly, groaned. "I'm gonna forget I saw that."

Liling laughed as she took her own papers in her hand. "Looks like you've still got it." she snickered towards Iroh. Upon making eye contact with Iroh, she laughed even harder. Every time she attempted to look at him, her laughter would pick up. She was doubled over for several minutes before she was finally able to regain her composure. Upon seeing her laugh, Iroh and Zuko joined in, chuckling as they all exited the ticket gate and made their way towards the boat that would take them to Ba Sing Se.

* * *

Refugees are milling about the train station that will lead into Ba Sing Se in groups as Liling, Zuko, and Iroh, sit themselves on a bench in the waiting area. Appearing out of nowhere, Jet casually sits down in between Liling and Zuko. "So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?"

Zuko opened his mouth to answer when a tea peddler suddenly shouted "Get your hot tea here! Finest tea in Ba Sing Se!" All four look up to see a tea merchant pushing a concession cart in front of them.

Iroh, waving an arm frantically to get the man's attention, cried eagerly "Oh! Jasmine, please." The peddler pours tea into a bowl for Iroh, who delightedly takes a sip as soon as the last drop was poured in. Liling is about to receive one herself when Iroh's eyes widen and he spits it out in disgust. "Blech! Ugh. _Coldest_ tea in Ba Sing Se is more like it. What a disgrace!" Liling smiles sheepishly at the tea peddler before handing the cup back to him, rejecting her beverage. If Iroh believed the tea unfit to drink, then there was no way that she would partake in the beverage herself.

Jet raises his eyebrows in confusion before lowering them and turning back to look at Zuko and Liling. "Hey, can I talk to you two for a second?" Standing up, Jet gestures for them to follow him. Zuko rises reluctantly and sighs as Liling follows him, hands clasped in front of her. Walking away from where Iroh sits, Jet says, "The three of us have a much better chance of making it in the city if we stick together. You guys want to join the Freedom Fighters?"

"Thanks, but I don't think you want me in your gang." Zuko says quickly, not making eye contact with Jet.

"Come on, we made a great team looting that Captain's food. Think of all the good we could do for these refugees." Jet implored, denoting to all the people ambling about.

Turning and walking back towards Iroh, Zuko snapped, "I said no."

Looking away from Zuko, Jet implored of Liling, "Surely you'll join. You saw how well you and your father were able to eat after working with me and the other Freedom Fighters. Wouldn't you both like to live that way every day?"

Sparring Iroh a glance so quick Jet missed it, Liling held her hands out, palms up, and replied, "If Lee won't join, then neither will I. My place is with them. Sorry, Jet, but we're more than capable of fending for ourselves without your help." With that, Liling joined Zuko and went back to Iroh.

Mildly surprised, Jet called after them, "Have it your way then." Jet focuses in on Iroh then, who is carefully enjoying the tea now steaming vigorously in his cup. Jet suddenly bristles and his eyes open wide in shock, realizing what he is seeing. Reaching Iroh, Zuko looks back toward Jet, who now wears a look of hostile suspicion on his face. Upon Zuko making eye contact with him, Jet turns and storms off, disappearing into the massive crowd of refugees. Watching Jet leave, Zuko abruptly turns around and eyes Iroh to see what had made Jet so angry. His eyes finally landed on the tea cup, now pipping hot. Zuko smacks the cup of tea from his uncle's hand, both to Liling and Iroh's dismay.

"Hey!" Iroh cries, both surprised and upset, the sight of wasted tea being more than he was emotionally stable to handle.

Zuko, through gritted teeth, whispered harshly, "What are you doing firebending your tea? For a wise old man, that was a pretty stupid move."

Iroh mournfully stared at the tea in dismay before saying, "I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled tea, but…" Iroh sniffles as he stares at the overturned cup, "That's so sad."

Ignoring this Zuko turns back to look for Jet, but he's gone, having disappeared into the crowd. "He's gone, Zuko. There's nothing we can do about what he may or may not have seen now." Liling began before turning to look at Iroh. Placing her hands on her hips in a patronizing manner, she added, "We'll just need to be more careful from now on. And that means _no more firebending_. Even if it means not heating up a freezing cup of tea."

Iroh ignored them both and simply kept staring at his spilled tea, unable to genuinely care about anything else, let alone whether he gave them away.

* * *

 **AN: And so the adventures of Ba Sing Se has officially begun! With the crossroads of destiny rapidly approaching I have so much in store for you guys that I cannot wait to share the next few chapters!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: A Close Call**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

The trio had been in Ba Sing Se for several days and had already managed to acquire a place of residency. They were currently in town shopping for items to make their apartment feel more like home. Zuko quickly walked down the street, Liling and Iroh having to speed up in order to catch up with him from behind, Iroh holding a large vase with several vibrant orange flowers placed in it. Zuko stares coldly at the flora, as it serves no other purpose than something extra they have to carry around and spend what little money they have on.

"I just want our new place to look nice," Iroh explained, sensing his nephew's cold glower.

"This city is a prison. I don't want to make a life here." Zuko retorts, not slowing his brisk pace.

"I thought they were nice," Liling interjected as she thoughtfully picks one of the flowers out of the vase and sniffs it before placing it back amongst its brothers and sisters.

Iroh beamed appreciatively at her before turning to Zuko and saying, "Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not. Now come on, I found us some new jobs, and we start this afternoon." With that, he led them off to their apartment.

* * *

After a while, the trio arrived at a small tea shop in the lower ring of the city. Liling, Zuko, and Iroh meet the shop owner and he gives them aprons and uniforms. "Well, you certainly look like official tea servers. How do you feel?" he asks, scrutinizing their outfits.

"Ridiculous." Zuko sighs bitterly.

"Oh, they're not that bad." Liling contradicted, adjusting the bow on her apron so it was straight.

Iroh desperately attempts to tie the string of his apron behind his back, but his effort is in vain. "Uh, does this possibly come in a larger size?" he asks, finally giving up on the ends coming together.

Nodding, the tea shop owner says, "I have extra string in the back. Have some tea while you wait." The owner pours three cups of tea and hands them to his new employees before heading to the back of the shop.

Iroh eagerly takes a sip from his cup, but quickly spits it out and pulls it away, his face contorted in disgust. "Eeow! This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!"

"Uncle, that's what all tea is." Zuko pointed out but poured his tea out nonetheless.

Iroh gasped in horror. "How can a member of my own family say something so horrible?"

Liling shared his sentiment and added, "We'll have to make some major changes around here." Iroh nods in confirmation as he grabs the teapot and heads over to the window before promptly dumping the tea onto the ground where it belonged.

* * *

After their first day at work, the trio retired to their new apartment. Zuko made his way straight to his cot and laid down, sighing appreciatively despite the fact that the mattress wasn't particularly soft. Liling leaned against the counter and watched Iroh prepare a pot of tea. "Would you like some tea?" he offered to no one in particular.

Mashing his pillow against his face, Zuko turned away so he wasn't facing them and whined "We've been working in a tea shop all day. I'm sick of tea!"

Iroh whipped his head around in bewilderment. "Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing!" He bends down and rummages through the cupboard beneath the counter. He pokes his head out and asks Liling, "Have you seen our spark rocks to heat up the water?"

Liling shakes her head. Iroh rummaged through the drawers once more before walking away for a moment. He soon returns with a pair of spark rocks. "I borrowed our neighbors, such kind people." Iroh strikes the spark rocks together near the small pile of twigs beneath the teapot. They quickly ignite and a small flame is created.

* * *

It wasn't long before the sun began to rise over the city's walls. As it did so, Zuko, Liling, and Iroh all arose from their sleep and changed into their tea serving uniforms, slinging their aprons over their shoulders and around their necks to be put on once they arrived at work. After a short walk, the trio arrived inside and put on their aprons before clocking in. Liling and Iroh put on pots of tea as Zuko maneuvered around the shop, taking orders.

"Uh, Ling, Uncle, we've got an order of white jasmine over at table six!" Zuko shouted to them.

"White jasmine? An excellent choice." Liling replied with a small smirk. "What do you think, Mushe?"

Iroh turned to her with a knowing grin and replied "It is my personal favorite. I think we already have a pot of that particular brew in the back."

"I'll get it then," Liling replied, pushing away from the counter and hunting for the particular brand of tea. Upon finding it, she walked over to the customer who happened to be an earth kingdom officer.

The officer took a small sip from the cup and cried, "This is the best tea in the city!" before putting the mug back to his lips and tilting his head back, finishing off the mug.

"The secret ingredient is love," Iroh informed him as he walked by.

Liling smiled before refilling the officer's mug. "It's on the house. For all your service in the war effort." She bowed slightly before turning around and making her way towards the next customer.

Iroh waves a hand through the steam coming from a teapot and walks towards the back of the shop where the owner is. "I think you're due for a raise. You and your family." the owner says with a smile.

Beaming, Iroh turns towards the tea shop owner and opens his mouth to reply when a boy with spiky hair stormed in and shouted furiously "I'm tired of waiting. These three are firebenders!" Liling, Iroh, and Zuko all turn to see that Jet had barged in. He was outlined by the doorway and pointing an accusing finger at the firebending trio. He unsheathes his set of hook swords and prepares to fight. The three quickly exchange a look, unsure of what to do. "I know they're firebenders! I saw the old man heating his tea!"

The officer whom Liling had just served snorted loudly before pointing out, "He works in a tea shop."

Jet, impatient, shouts, "He's a firebender! All three of them are! I'm telling you!"

"Drop your swords boy, nice and easy." the officer instructs, ignoring the Jet's desperate pleas. The officer and his partner sitting at one of the tables stand up and prepare to take care of him.

Gritting his teeth in fury, Jet yells towards the trio, "You'll have to defend yourself. Then everyone will know. Go ahead, show them what you can do." He poises his hook swords and slowly walks towards the trio, swinging one within a hair of Liling who jumps back at the last moment.

One of the officers prepares to draw the swords at his waist when Zuko steps in front of him and grabs the hilt instead. "You want a show? I'll give you a show." Zuko says darkly. He unsheathes the officer's double broadswords and enters his fighting stance. Zuko then pulls a table in front of him with his foot and kicks it at Jet who slices his hook swords into the table and jumps over it. As he lands, Jet swings both hook swords down at Zuko, who deflects the attack and jumps backward onto another table. His opponent swings a sword through the middle of the table, slicing it in half. Zuko steps to one half of the table and balances on one foot. Jet follows up his attack by cutting through the legs on the half of the table Zuko is standing on. Zuko quickly hops on to the other half that is still standing and lands in a crane stance. Jet knocks this half to the ground, but Zuko jumps into the air and swings both broadswords at Jet's feet as he lands. Jet somersaults away and lands in a crouching position before charging forward at Zuko again. Zuko swings both of his swords at him, knocking Jet outside. Zuko bursts through the door and tumbles into the street. Jet runs after him and spins through the air before striking at Zuko with both swords. Zuko manages to block the strike and both combatants lock swords.

"You must be getting tired of using those swords. Why don't you go ahead and firebend at me?" Jet taunts with a slight sneer, his cocky edge slipping ever so slightly through the exertion he was putting into the fight.

They both struggle to gain control and walk off to the side. Liling Iroh is standing in the doorway and watching, worried. "Please son, you're confused. You don't know what you're doing!" Iroh pleadingly calls to Jet.

"Be careful, Lee!" Liling added as Jet raised his hook sword, narrowly avoiding cutting Zuko across his face. The last thing he needed was another scar.

Zuko swings at Jet, but he catches Zuko's broadsword with the ends of his hook swords, spins around and deflects it to the side. Zuko spins with it and tries to counterattack, but Jet hooks the ends of his swords together and spins them at Zuko in large circular motions. Zuko retreats back a few steps to avoid the bladed hilt.

"Bet you wish they'd help you out with a little fire blast right now." Jet sneers confidently, denoting towards where Iroh and Liling stand off to the side.

However, in that one second where he looked away, Zuko managed to knock on the swords out of Jet's hand. It sailed through the air before being caught by Liling, who wrapped her fingers around the hilt. Gazing from the blade to Jet, she smirked slightly before saying, "You're the one who needs help." She then dove into the fray, jumping behind Jet's back so that both his fronts were covered.

Jet looks at Zuko before spinning around to face Liling; the fact that he's outnumbered beginning to dawn on him. He turns in a circle and tries to swipe at Liling, but Liling quickly advances and swings her sword at him in a horizontal motion. Jet pulls his attack just in time to bend backward and avoid the blade. Liling's stolen sword passes over him, cutting the wheat straw sticking out of Jet's mouth in half. Jet regains balance and jumps back onto the edge of a well. By now several people are in the street watching the fight.

"You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me. It'll never happen. I won't _let_ it happen!" Jet furiously roars, clashing his sword against the edge of the well before hooking his sword onto a wooden beam above the well and swings forward at Zuko, attacking him with a flying kick. Zuko quickly dodges this before pointing his broadsword at Jet, Liling mimicking his action. Jet, knowing if he moves he'll be shredded, sets his sword down. Seeing Jet do so, both Liling and Zuko lower their swords as Jet points at them, before denoting to Iroh.

"Arrest them. They're Firebenders." he accuses, his chest heaving hard, a wild look in his eyes.

"This poor boy is confused. We're just simple refugees." Iroh replies to the officers.

The owner of the tea shop pointed at Jet and said, "This young man wrecked my tea shop, and assaulted my best employees."

"It's true sir. We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city." the officers who had been dining inside the shop added.

"Oh ho ho. That's very sweet." Iroh blushed, waving his hand dismissively.

Two Dai Li walk up behind the boy, who looks at them angrily. "Come with us, son."

Jet swings his hook sword at the Dai Li guard, but he catches the sword with his hand covered in stones. The guard then disarms him and both guards pull Jet's arms behind his back, binding his wrists together using the stones on the palms of their gloves. They drag him away towards a wagon designed for holding captured criminals. "You don't understand! They're Fire Nation! You have to believe me!" he cries desperately as he's dragged away.

Zuko, Iroh, and Liling watch as Jet is being put into the wagon, Zuko with a hard glint in his eyes, Liling and Iroh mournfully. As Jet was driven away, the three went back to work, exchanging relieved glances that their cover had not been blown.

* * *

 **AN: It's my birthday today so I wanted to give a gift to you all by posting another chapter this week so please enjoy!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: The Tale of Iroh and Liling**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Liling groggily sat up from her cot and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Shaking her head to fully clear it, she let her eyes roam the room. Zuko was missing and Iroh was leaning against the counter, staring mournfully at a picture. Liling felt her heartache suddenly as realization sunk in. For them, today was one of the saddest days of the year; it was Lu Ten's birthday. Sliding off her bed, Liling walked over to Iroh and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He looked away from the picture and smiled sadly at her. The corners of Liling's lips twitched up in a slight smile before she turned back to look at the picture. She reverently touched the edge of the picture with the tip of her finger and slowly trailed her finger down the page. After a moment, Iroh slowly rolled the picture up, stowed it away in his pocket, and asked, "Shall we get going then?"

Wiping her tears away, Liling smiled and replied, "Yes, let's go."

The two looped their elbows together and headed off into the city. They walked pleasantly down a lane and stopped to examine a basket being sold by a merchant. "If this is for a romantic picnic, may I suggest this lavender one?"

Iroh and Liling exchanged a glance before laughing. "No, it is not a romantic picnic, but it is a special occasion." Iroh explains, handing the merchant a few coins and picking up the basket. Iroh turns to leave the market stall when a closed flower in a vase catches his eye. He slides the vase out of the sunlight and into the shade, where the flower suddenly comes into full bloom. "The moon flower likes partial shade."

Iroh bows to the merchant before joining Liling and walking away, turning to examine another merchant's stall which sells liquins, a type of stringed instrument. The sound of a crying child catches their attention and they turn around to see a boy sobbing the middle of the street and his mother trying to console him. Iroh picks up a liquin and walks over to the two, playing a song. As he nears, he kneels next to the boy as Liling beings to sing.

 _Leaves from the vine, falling so slow._

 _Like fragile, tiny shells,_

 _Drifting in the foam._

 _Little soldier boy, come marching home._

 _Brave soldier boy comes marching home._

The boy's frown instantly turns to a smile as he reaches up and pulls Iroh's long beard. "Yeowch!" Iroh cries lightly before smiling. The child laughs delightedly. Iroh smiles and strokes his beard, smoothing out its now ruffled tendrils. The boy's mother takes her son by the hand and leads him away as Iroh stand and looks after them with a very pleasant look on his face.

"I didn't know you could still play the liquin." Liling noted as they entered a courtyard.

"I didn't know myself. It was the first instrument I picked up." Iroh replied modestly as they paused, watching four boys playing a game. One of the boys hits the ground with his foot and the ball shoots up and back down. He kicks it and then follows up with some earthbending. A patch of earth rises to create a path for the ball as it rolls along. Another player earthbends to impede the path of the ball before it reaches the goal. This causes the ball to launch up and into the direction Iroh and Liling are standing. They move out of the way just in time, but the ball rips through the window directly behind where they were. A crash rings out from the building and a burly man shouts "Hey!"

Iroh walks over to the boys as they gather around him to listen to what he has to say. "It is usually best to admit mistakes when they occur, and to seek to restore honor-"

Iroh is interrupted by loud smashes emanating from inside the building. All six of them look up, startled. A very large man becomes visible through the hole. "When I am through with you kids, the window won't be the only thing that's broken!" the man shouts angrily, cracking his knuckles.

Iroh blinks before crying "-but not this time. Run!"

The boys scatter as Liling and Iroh run back into the street. They duck in an alley, Iroh placing the basket down as Liling peers around the corner to see if they're being chased. Upon discovering that they're not being followed, the two lean against the alley wall, panting hard. Suddenly, a voice from behind them demands, "You two. Give me all your money!"

The pair turn around to see a messy, unkempt looking man with a twisted dagger pointed directly at them.

Iroh crosses his arms, eyeing the young man's stance. "What are you doing?" he asks in a genuinely confused voice.

"I'm mugging you!" the man shouts, his knees shaking.

"With that stance?" Liling asked smugly, denoting to his knobby knees and awkwardly planted feet.

"Wha- What are you talking about? Just give me your money!" the mugger ordered, anxiety leaking into his voice.

Shaking his head in disdain, Iroh says "With a poor stance you are unbalanced, and you can be easily knocked over." In one swift move, Iroh grabs the arm of the mugger and disarms him, while simultaneously proving his point by pushing his attacker and knocking him to the ground.

"Ugh!" the mugger cries, falling to the ground.

Iroh twirls the dagger in his hand as Liling helps the man to his feet. "With a solid stance, you are a much more serious threat." Iroh demonstrates a proper stance for the mugger. The mugger attempts to imitate Iroh's stance but is still not assuming the correct form. Iroh walks over to him and holds his attacker's head still while he adjusts the man's stance by nudging his backside forward with his foot. After helping him assume the correct form, Iroh is now pleased with the man's stance. "Much better! But to tell you the truth, you do not look like the criminal type."

"I know. I'm... I'm just confused." the man says, sighing dejectedly.

* * *

Iroh and Liling lead the mugger into their tea shop, before sitting him down and pouring him a cup of tea. The mugger takes a grateful sip and asks "So you really think I could be a good masseur?"

"Of course!" Liling replies, good-naturedly slapping him on the back.

Close to tears, he replies, "This is so great! No one has ever believed in me."

"While it is always best to believe in one's self, a little help from others can be a great blessing." Iroh says philosophically before raising his cup, offering a toast to the former mugger's good fortune.

* * *

Leaves gently fall from the tree as Liling and Iroh approach the trunk and look out over the city. Iroh places the basket down and removes his hat as Liling piles some rocks at the tree's base. Searching through the basket, Iroh removes several things and places them at the bottom of the tree. He pulls out a sheet of paper and looks at it for a few seconds, closing his eyes and bowing his head, before placing it down as well. Finally, he pulls two joss sticks and lights them with his fingers by clicking the tips and places them down as well. They've made a small memorial for Lu Ten.

"Happy Birthday my son. If only I could have helped you." Tears fall from his eyes.

Liling places a gentle hand on top of Iroh's, tears falling from her eyes as well, as she begins to sing.

 _Leaves from the vine, falling so slow._

 _Like fragile, tiny shells,_

 _Drifting in the foam._

 _Little soldier boy, come marching home._

 _Brave soldier boy comes marching home._

Once she finished, Liling hung her head in silence before leaning against Iroh. The two sat in silence for a moment longer, sitting in quiet mourning.

* * *

 **"In Honor Of Mako"**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: The Blue Spirit**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Mushe, we've got another customer!" Liling called from the back, busy with three of her own.

Iroh approached the well-dressed dignitary and his bodyguards pleasantly and began pouring their tea. As he turned away, the man exclaimed "So you're the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you." He holds up the teacup in a hand glittering with jeweled rings. "I hope Pao pays you well."

Smiling, Iroh replied humbly, "Good tea is its own reward."

"But it doesn't have to be the only reward. How would you like to have your own tea shop?" the man asked, standing up.

Iroh, stunned, turned around to fully face the man and jubilantly cried "My own tea shop? This is a dream come true!"

The trio's boss, Pao, scampering to join the conversation, demands "What's going on here? Are you trying to poach my tea maker, Quon?" He throws himself protectively between Iroh and Quon.

"Sorry Pao, that's business for you, am I right?" Quon says in a not-so-apologetic voice.

Getting increasingly desperate, Pao begins to negotiate. "Mushe, if you stay, I will make you Assistant Manager. Wait, _Senior_ Assistant Manager."

"I'll provide you with a new apartment in the upper ring. The tea shop is yours to do whatever you want." Quon offers as Zuko glances over from busing a table. "Complete creative freedom," Quon added, Liling's ears perking up in interest.

Elated, Iroh inquired "I even get to name the shop?"

"Of course!" Quon allowed with delight, seeing that he would soon be closing the sale.

Pleadingly, Pao asked, "Uh, Senior Executive Assistant Manager?"

Iroh sets the teapot into the hands of the shop owner, Pao, who grimaces in defeat. Pao disgustedly walks off as Iroh and Quon exchange respectful bows. Zuko and Liling soon join him. "Did you hear? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city." Iroh excitedly informed the two of them.

"That's right young man and young lady. Your lives are about to change for the better." Quon promised, clasping his hands behind his back.

"That's great! I'm so happy for you, Mushe!" Liling exclaimed, placing a hand on Iroh's shoulder.

"I'll try to contain my joy," Zuko says unenthusiastically before walking outside. Iroh and Liling let him go, too invested in their conversation with Quon who was elucidating the finer details of their new tea shop.

* * *

"So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it." Iroh was saying to Liling as they packed up their belongings.

"Oh, I like it. The 'Jasmine Dragon'. It sounds perfect, and is named after your two, well technically three, favorite things; tea, dragons, and me." Liling replied sincerely, tucking away her one and only shirt.

Suddenly the door banged open and Zuko stormed inside. "The Avatar's here in Ba Sing Se. And he's lost his bison." He holds out a leaflet for them to look at.

Liling takes the leaflet and quickly skims it. "We have a chance for a new life here," she said with a small scowl as she handed the leaflet to Iroh, who read it over as well.

Zuko walks to stare out a window as Iroh adds, "If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening to us."

Spinning around to face Iroh, clearly irate, Zuko snaps, "Good things that are happening for you, happening for Liling. Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?"

Liling walks over to him and earnestly implores of him, "There is nothing wrong with a simple life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want for your life, and why."

Zuko, turning to look outside again, sighs softly before replying "I want my destiny."

"What that means is up to you," Iroh says as Zuko walks away from the window. "The Tea Weevil!" Iroh exclaims before shaking his head in disgust. "No, that's stupid."

"You'll get it eventually," Liling said confidently as Zuko left. She and Iroh stared after him before going back to their packing.

* * *

Liling scowled at the sight of the entrance that she and Iroh had to enter. It was nothing more than a small, sketchy looking hole that was suspended over a dark, ominous lake. "Are you sure Zuko went down there?" she asked Iroh for what was definitely not the first time.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Iroh approached the hole and replied, "I'm very sure he's down there. We must find Prince Zuko before something happens to him."

Clenching her fists, Liling nodded before diving feet first into the hole, Iroh quickly following her. Once in the tunnel, the two of them were down the hole, they ran along the tunnel, searching for Zuko. After checking several rooms, they found him.

They walked in to see Zuko, in his Blue Spirit disguise, talking to the Avatar's flying bison. "You're mine now," Zuko whispered, approaching the beast. He suddenly hears the door open and turns around, taking a firebending stance. He's taken aback when he sees who's approaching. "Liling? Uncle?"

Iroh, feigning puzzlement, turns to Liling and asks "So, the Blue Spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask?"

Crossing her arms, Liling looks at Iroh before turning her cold gaze onto the Blue Spirit. "I have absolutely no idea. It could be anyone."

Zuko, removing his mask, asked, "What are you two doing here?"

"We were just about to ask you the same thing. What do you plan to do now that you have found the Avatar's bison? Keep it locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?" Liling asked him, holding her palms out in a pleading gesture.

"First I have to get it out of here," Zuko says, going back over to the bison.

Iroh, incensed, screams " _And then what?!_ You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"

Heatedly, Zuko replied, "I would have figured something out!"

Shouting angrily, Liling jumped into the argument, having some select words she'd like to share with Zuko as well. "No! If his friends hadn't found you, you would have frozen to _death_!"

Looking away in anguish, Zuko softly uttered, "I know my own destiny."

Gritting his teeth, Iroh forcefully cries, "Is it your own destiny? Or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?"

In a tormented tone, Zuko shouts "Stop it, stop it both of you. I have to do this." He turns away and heads towards the bison.

Both pleading and furious, Iroh approaches Zuko and says "I'm begging you, Prince Zuko! It's time for you to look inward, and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you? And what do you want?"

With a cry of frustration, Zuko hurls both of his swords to the ground, followed by the Blue Spirit mask. Zuko's shout continues to echo throughout the chamber before breaking the chains holding the bison, letting the creature go without following.

* * *

Iroh blasted the manhole cover off, sending it high into the air and jumped to shore before turning around and helping Zuko and Liling emerge from the secret tunnel.

"You did the right thing, nephew," Iroh said softly. Zuko pulls out the Blue Spirit mask, regarding its demonic visage as Iroh rests a hand on its shoulder. "Leave it behind," Iroh instructed.

Zuko walks to the edge and drops the mask into the lake, where it slowly sinks into the depths. Liling and Iroh smiled encouragingly at him as they wrapped their arms around each other before heading back into the city, eager to start up their new tea shop.

* * *

 **AN: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, I hope you all have a blessed day and keep in mind the things you're thankful for. For instance, I'm thankful for all the readers of this fanfic. I deeply appreciate all of the views, reviews, favorites, and follows that I get from you all so to show my thankfulness, here's a new chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed reading it!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: A New (Tea) Leaf**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

As they walked back into the upper ring in the city, Iroh and Liling did their best to comfort Zuko. Liling wrapped her arms around Zuko's upper arm as Iroh placed a consoling hand on his nephew's shoulder, saying, "You did the right thing, letting the Avatar's bison go free." As they walked back into the upper ring in the city, Iroh and Liling did their best to comfort Zuko. Liling wrapped her arms around Zuko's upper arm as Iroh placed a consoling hand on his nephew's shoulder, saying "You did the right thing, letting the Avatar's bison go free." He walked slightly ahead of the two teens and getting to the door to their new apartment.

Hanging his head as he walked, Zuko replied in a heavy voice "I don't feel right." His body suddenly grows heavy as he tilts towards the ground. If Liling hadn't been holding onto him, he would have fallen to the ground.

"Zuko!" Iroh shouted in alarm, rushing over to the two of them

Tightening her grip on Zuko, Liling steered him over to his cot and helped him lay down. Zuko was out cold. Biting her lip anxiously, Liling turned to Iroh and asked, "What do you think happened to him?"

Iroh shook his head slightly before saying, "He needs rest. Zuko has been very overwhelmed lately. I am certain the episode with the Avatar's bison simply overworked him to the point where he blacked out. Remember, it is not the burden one carries, but how one carries it."

Nodding, Liling turned away from Iroh and sat on the edge of Zuko's cot, gently swiping his bangs out of his eyes. Iroh watched her do this before heading over to the stove and putting on a pot of tea.

* * *

"Here you go." Iroh said after a while, handing Liling a cup of tea.

She smiled appreciatively at him before gratefully accepting the cup. Taking a sip, she sighed happily, feeling content for the first time in hours. Suddenly a feverish Zuko began tossing and moaning on his cot. Liling quickly thrusts her mug into Iroh's hands and reaches to take a cloth from a tub of water lying nearby the cot. Gently rubbing Zuko's forehead, Liling softly explained, "You're burning up. You have an intense fever." She places a cloth over Zuko's brow as she continues, "This will help cool you down."

Zuko feebly turned towards her and mumbled, "So thirsty." He tries to sit up but is pushed back down by Iroh.

"Here's some clean water to drink." Iroh ladles water from another bucket and supports Zuko's shoulders while he drinks. "Stay under the blankets, and sweat this out," he instructs.

Zuko snatches the ladle from him and drains it completely. He tosses it away, turns and grabs up the bucket, pouring it down his throat and splashing his chest. He hurls it against a wall before settling back down, coughing.

Liling's hands flutter nervously as she surveys the situation, unsure of what to do. Iroh takes care of the situation, handing Zuko a mug of tea. "You should know this is not a natural sickness. But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea." He supports Zuko's head as he drinks thirstily from the mug.

Disorientated, Zuko inquired, "What? What's happening?"

Looking at the floor before turning to his nephew, Iroh explains, "Your critical decision, what you did beneath that lake. . . it was in such conflict with your image of yourself, that you are now at war with your own mind and body."

Zuko takes a second sip of the tea. "What's that mean?" He suddenly collapses into a fit of coughing.

"You're going through a metamorphosis, Zuko. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful Prince you were always meant to be." Liling explains encouragingly as she mops Zuko's forehead with the damp cloth, finally settled down from his coughing fit.

* * *

"Liling, have you seen the rice?" Iroh called, steam causing his beard to curl.

"Did you check the upper counters?" she asked, absentmindedly stirring her own pot.

Iroh checked the suggested location and inside found what he was looking for. He beamed at the bag of rice before pouring his desired amount in the pot. He was putting the finishing touches on the dish when Zuko, still groggy from sleep, enters the from the other room.

Zuko sniffed the air appreciatively and curiously inquired, "What's that smell?"

"It's jook. I'm sure you wouldn't like it." Iroh doubtfully replied.

Zuko bows over the pot, inhaling, as Iroh steps back. "Actually, it smells delicious. I'd love a bowl, Uncle." Zuko says pleasantly before picking up and holding out an empty bowl.

Suspiciously, Iroh says, "Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow." Iroh ladles some jook into the proffered bowl before ladling another for Liling.

Optimistically, Zuko simply states, "It's a new day. We've got a new apartment, new furniture, and today's the grand opening of your new tea shop. Things are looking up you two." Zuko moves to the table and kneels as he speaks, sipping from the bowl and looking out an open window. Iroh's concerned look melts into a pleased smile at his nephew's new attitude. He exchanges a happy look with Liling before they began to eat.

* * *

"Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own tea shop?" Iroh asked with a large smile, admiring the beautiful building. "Follow your passion Zuko, and life will reward you."

"Congratulations Uncle," Zuko says cheerfully.

"Yes, congratulations on your owning your very own tea shop, Iroh! I know how exciting this must be for you!" Liling added in a congratulatory tone, hugging Iroh around the shoulders with glee.

"I'm very thankful." was all Iroh could say, a large smile taking up the majority of his face.

"You deserve it. The Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city." Liling said confidently.

"No, I'm thankful because you both decided to share this special day with me." He wraps an arm around each of them, pulling the two teens closer to him. "It means more than you know."

Zuko gives the pair a warm hug, to both the surprise of Iroh and Liling. "Now let's make these people some tea." Zuko enthusiastically says, breaking the hug.

"Yes! Let's make some tea!" Iroh enthusiastically cheers.

Liling happily clapped her hands together and rolled up her sleeves. "Yes, let's."

* * *

It had been nearly a week since Iroh had opened the Jasmine Dragon and success was booming. Between Iroh, Liling, and Zuko, the three of them were swamped. Hundreds of people swarmed the shop every day, creating a constant buzz that never ceased.

Closing time approached. Zuko was sweeping up for the evening as Liling bussed tables. As Iroh clears a table, a man enters and walks up to him. "A message from the royal palace." He bows and hands a scroll to Iroh, who reads it with a look of worry. His eyes widen with astonishment.

"I. ... I can't believe it." he stutters, overcome with happiness.

Walking over, Zuko asks curiously, "What is it, Uncle?"

Elated, Iroh exclaims, "Great news! We've been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!" Iroh runs off excitedly towards the rear of the tea house. Zuko and Liling watch him go with a smile plastered on each of their face's, then resume their chores, Zuko sweeping and Liling clearing tables, excited for Iroh and their future prospects.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: The Setup**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Today's the day." Liling cried excitedly as they rode in a carriage to the royal palace. The three of them were going to cater tea to the Earth King himself. It was a big day for all of them, especially Iroh.

After a moment, the carriage came to a sudden halt outside the palace. The trio eagerly scrambled out of the carriage just outside the royal palace. Iroh is holding a white, ornate box containing his nicest tea set, after all, he could only serve his best tea to the Earth King. They all make their way towards the entrance of the palace.

"Many times, I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace. But I always thought I would be here as a conqueror... instead, we are the Earth King's personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing." Iroh says with a fond smile.

"It sure is Uncle." Zuko cheerfully remarks as they walk inside.

They pass the decorated house on the palace grounds, surrounded by well-trimmed shrubbery and exotic plants. They pass through the thick, heavy doors and are escorted into the throne room where they quickly set up the table. After finishing, the trio remains sitting patiently by said table. Before them is a small, yet elegant, throne that rests on a raised platform. Iroh fidgets slightly and pours a cup of tea as they wait for the Earth King to arrive. Liling places a comforting hand on his knee and gives him a small smile, wordlessly telling him to calm down.

"What's taking so long?" Zuko mumbles impatiently, disrupting the heavy silence.

"Maybe the Earth King overslept," Liling suggested with a slightly anxious look on her face, her eyes roaming the walls in the off chance the Earth King would come striding in at any moment. It wasn't like royalty to be late; she should know, given she was a blue blood herself.

Suddenly several Dai Li agents enter the throne room from the right and form a tight circle around the three tea servers.

Zuko eyes them suspiciously before whispering, "Something's not right."

As soon as the words left Zuko's lips, a familiar figure arrogantly strides into the room and seats herself on the throne. "It's tea time," she mockingly observed.

Jumping to his feet, Zuko cries in surprise, "Azula!"

Sneering down at the trio, and ignoring the not so welcome introduction, Azula asks, "Have you met the Dai Li? They're Earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that is so Firebender, I just love it!"

Liling stands as well, but unlike Zuko, she does so calmly. Clasping her hands together in front of her, her eyes narrow as she looks at Azula. "Azula. I cannot say that it's pleasant to see you again." Azula's eyes narrow dangerously at that comment.

Iroh takes the cup of tea he had poured earlier and stands up between Liling and Zuko. "Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the "Dragon of the West"?" he asks serenely.

Examining her nails, Azula turned to him and, in a bored tone, remarked, "I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle."

At that, Iroh smirks slightly. "It's more of a demonstration really." Tipping his head back, Iroh takes a sip of his tea. Suddenly, Liling and Zuko duck behind Iroh just before he drops into a firebending stance opens his mouth and breathes a powerful torrent of fire at the Dai Li, sharing the resemblance with that of a dragon. The Dai Li agents lower their heads and lift their gloved hands to shield themselves from the fire.

Once the Dai Li are distracted, the three of them run for it. Zuko bursts through the wall with a fire blast and runs down the hall, Liling tailing him. Iroh quickly follows after, still breathing fire at the Dai Li before rushing to catch up. Two Dai Li agents come through the hole in the wall and begin firing the small, finger pieces out of their rock gloves like bullets with swift thrusts of their hands. The stone bullets barely miss the trio, becoming embedded in the wall.

Zuko, Liling, and Iroh soon run into a dead end. Liling and Iroh exchange a quick glance before taking firebending stances. Soon two bolts of lightning cross streams, blowing a massive hole into the wall that shakes the entire hallway. As soon as the hole is made, Liling jumped through it, blasting fire out of her feet, using it to slow her descent.

Following his daughter, Iroh jumps out, giving a small shout as he falls on top of a hedge bush in the shape of a bear, destroying it. Iroh grunts in pain and puts a hand to his head before looking up and calling to Zuko, "Come on. You'll be fine."

His face hardening, Zuko clenched his fists and called down, "No. I'm tired of running. It's time I faced Azula!" Zuko turns around and walks back towards the Dai Li and Azula.

Liling opens her mouth to shout up to him how absolutely bonkers that sounds but decides Zuko is beyond any help words could offer him. Iroh slaps his forehead in frustration and makes his escape, Liling quickly tailing him.

Azula smiled sweetly at her brother and said, "You're so dramatic. What, are you going to do, challenge me to an Agni Kai?"

Zuko, angry and determined, challenged, "Yes! I challenge you!"

Smiling mockingly, Azula replied, "No thanks."

Zuko raises both hands, summoning a large ball of flame, leans forward and pushes it at his sister. Azula watches calmly as two Dai Li step between her and the attack and raise a large, rectangular tile from the floor, blocking the fire blast. Both agents fling their stone gloves at Zuko's feet, trapping him on the floor. Zuko stumbles and places a hand on the floor, which is pinned down by another glove. Zuko struggles in vain to pull himself free. Azula turns her back and walks away. Two more Dai Li agents step forward and shoot their gloves toward Zuko, imprisoning him. He should have fled when he had the chance.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: A Friend Who Doesn't Want to Kill You**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC

* * *

Liling and Iroh continued to run, the palace growing smaller and smaller behind them until finally, it disappeared from sight completely. "What are we going to do? We just left Zuko behind to face Azula! Not to mention an entire army of Dai Li soldiers! He'll be destroyed!" Liling shouted frantically, pulling on her hair anxiously as they ran.

"Not if we manage to get help first. Come with me. There's an old friend we must visit." Iroh vaguely explained before stepping up the pace. Liling simply shrugged her shoulders before following, certain Iroh knew what he was doing.

After a few more minutes of running, he stopped at the steps of a nice looking house in the upper ring of the city. The two firebenders walked up the steps and were about to knock on the door when they heard voices inside.

" _Wait, someone's at the door."_ The voice paused, as though straining to hear their footsteps. " _I know who it is. It's two old friends of mine."_

The door slides open, revealing Toph. Liling and Iroh smile happily at the girl as she greets them. "Glad to see you're okay."

"We need your help," Iroh said, denoting to himself and Liling. Toph smiled helpfully while her friends gasped in panic and confusion.

Aang, shocked, points a finger at the two Fire Nation citizens. "You know these two?" He turns to Toph, confusion splattered across his face.

Shrugging innocently, Toph replied, "I met them in the woods once and knocked them down. Then they gave me tea and very good advice."

"May we come in?" Iroh asks, looking down at Toph who nods. The pair enters the room, their hands respectfully clasped in front of them.

" _Princess_ Azula," Liling began, her voice straining at the word 'princess', as though her body was reluctant to give her old friend such a title, "Is here in Ba Sing Se."

"She must have Katara," Aang replied thoughtfully, scratching his chin.

"She has captured Zuko as well." Liling input, crossing her arms.

Aang looked up at them all and replied, "Then we'll work together to fight Azula, and save Katara and Zuko."

Shaking his head, Sokka interjected, "Woah there. You lost me at, "and Zuko"."

"I know how you must feel about my nephew. But believe me when I tell you there is good inside him." Iroh places his hands on Sokka's shoulders in a pleading way.

Sokka removes Iroh's hand and shoves him forcefully away, saying coldly, "Good inside of him isn't enough. Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?"

Aang frowns and cuts in, "Katara is in trouble. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance." Sokka closes his eyes and nods grudgingly. Aang smiles at Sokka's resolve.

"We brought someone along who might be able to help us," Iroh says then, making to walk outside. Liling gets the door and Iroh heads back outside, the others following him.

A bound and gagged Dai Li agent is sitting on the porch directly outside. Toph lifts him up by earthbending two stone slabs on either side of him. Iroh pulls down the cloth over his face, allowing him to speak. "Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup. They're going to overthrow the Earth King."

"My sister! Where are they keeping Katara?" Sokka angrily asks, pointing his machete at the Dai Li agent.

The Dai Li agent scooted away as far as possible from Sokka, replying in a terrified tone, "In the crystal catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace."

Liling, Iroh, Aang, Toph, and Sokka look to each other, their faces stony with determination, before quickly departing for the palace.

* * *

Once they were just outside the palace walls, Toph examines the ground before smirking slightly to herself. She waves her fist outward, earthbending a small crater in the ground.

Sokka stared at the ground pensively before suggesting "We should split up. Aang, you go with Liling and Iroh to look for Katara and the angry jerk. . . no offense."

"None taken," Iroh said dismissively as Liling cracked a small grin at the nickname Sokka had just bestowed upon her cousin. While most people would take offense to such an unflattering name, Liling couldn't help but smile because it fit Zuko to a 't'.

"And I'll go with Toph to warn the Earth King about Azula's coup," Sokka added. Momo jumps on Sokka's shoulder as he and Toph move to depart.

Liling places a hand on Sokka's other shoulder, stopping him. He turns around and looks at her, surprise coloring his expression. "Sokka, I know that you really have no reason to trust me or Iroh, but trust me when I say that Azula is not a person you want to underestimate, especially not when you're stopping her from taking what she wants. She will do whatever it takes, betray whoever she pleases, and forge alliances with anyone to get what she wants. Azula is ambitious, underhanded, calculating, and cunning. The same can also be said for Ty Lee and Mai. You and Toph must handle the situation with extreme care. Recklessness will get you nowhere with her. Look at my cousin. Zuko did not handle his last encounter with his sister very well and as a result, he has been imprisoned. So what I'm trying to say is. . . be careful."

Sokka scratched the back of his neck before proudly remarking, "Azula doesn't stand a chance against Toph and me, but if it makes you feel any better then I promise we'll try to be extra careful."

Removing her hand from his shoulder, Liling smiled. It was the best response she could have hoped for from Sokka. After making sure Liling had nothing else to advise them against, Toph and Sokka set forth towards the palace.


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: Welp, this is it: the crossroads of destiny. I've been looking forward to writing this scene since I first began this fanfiction, toying with either having Liling join Azula, her old childhood friend, staying loyal to Iroh, her father, escaping with the Avatar and his friends, or having her do something in-between. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the decision Liling makes and the chapters to come.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Prison Break**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

After Toph and Sokka had departed, the three remaining benders exchanged glances before beginning to tunnel underground. Aang is tunneling down using his earthbending and Iroh and Liling are lighting the way on either side of him with a flame cupped in each of their hand's, Iroh's bright gold, Liling's a brilliant blue. The trip is rocked by uncomfortable silence.

"So," Aang began slowly, "Toph thinks you two give pretty good advice. And great tea." he added as an afterthought.

Beaming pridefully, Iroh explained, "The key to both is proper aging."

"What's on your mind?" Liling asked him thoughtfully.

Aang pauses for a second to deepen the tunnel with an earthbending movement before continuing. "Well, I met with this Guru who was supposed to help me master the Avatar State, and control this great power. But to do it, I had to let go of someone I love, and I just couldn't."

"Perfection and power are overrated. I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love." Iroh commended him on his decision.

They stop again and Aang pushes back the earth with a wave of his arms. "What happens if we can't save everyone and beat Azula?"

Her jaw hardening, Liling replied stonily, "Trust me, Aang, we will beat Azula even if I have to stop her myself. I refuse to let the world fall into her and my Uncle's hands."

Aang ponders this before anxiously asking, "Without the Avatar State, what if I am not powerful enough?"

"I don't know the answer. Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving. . ." Iroh trailed off as they approached the last wall of rocks. A green light shines through. Iroh smiles as the flame in his hand extinguishes, Liling copying his action. Aang, Liling, and Iroh walk forward and enter the crystal catacombs. "You will come to a better place."

The catacombs are full of glowing green crystals, stalagmites, and stalactites. In the back of the area is a waterfall pouring into a channel forming two rectangles around several thick, jagged columns. Zuko and Katara turn at the sound of intruders and freeze upon seeing who it is.

Katara runs over to Aang, placing her hands on Aang's shoulders and gives him a hug. "Aang, I knew you would come."

Zuko, however, is less excited upon seeing Iroh and Liling. Upset, he cries, "Liling, Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?" He points a menacing finger at Aang, as though the whole ordeal was his fault.

"Saving you, that's what." Aang snaps bitterly.

Zuko snarls at Aang and tries to lunge at him, but Iroh grabs him by one shoulder, Liling grabbing the other, preventing him from causing a fight. Iroh spins Zuko around and says, "Zuko, it's time we talked." He pauses, turning to Aang and Katara, and instructs, "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."

Aang clasps his hands and bows respectfully to Iroh and Liling before running back through the hole in the cave that he had just created. Katara slowly follows after him. She turns her head and takes one last sad glimpse at a sullen Zuko before exiting. Zuko turns his head away from Iroh in shame. "Why Uncle?" he asks, hurt.

"You are not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good!" Iroh snaps imploringly.

Zuko shuts his eyes, absorbing Iroh's words. Before he can process this wisdom, Zuko is startled by a violent quake. A trail of crystals shoots out of the ground until they reach Iroh, trapping him. Liling flips back but upon seeing that Iroh has been imprisoned, she leaps towards him in an attempt to free him. Zuko readies himself for an attack, slipping into a bending stance.

Azula and two Dai Li agents slide down towards them from a hidden tunnel. Azula advances towards Zuko until he is directly between his uncle and cousin and his sister. "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko, _Prince_ Zuko… you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?" Azula asked sweetly.

"Release him immediately!" Zuko roars in anger, doing his best to ignore Azula.

Azula turns to Liling then, the corners of her lip curling up in a slight smile. "It's not too late for you either, Liling. You can still redeem yourself. You both can." she adds, turning towards Zuko yet again at the last part.

Liling paid her no mind, still pounding away at the rock imprisoning Iroh, but it was to no avail as the rock refused to break.

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you," Iroh warned the two teens.

"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle?" Azula snapped, sending Iroh a cold glower. Turning her eyes back to Zuko and Liling, she implored, "I need you two. I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you, Zuko, will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want. And you, Liling, your family's honor will be restored as well. Uncle's disgrace at Ba Sing Se will be nothing but a distant memory if you join me. Our three powers combined will make us a force to be reckoned with; we will _rule_ the other nations."

"Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want." Iroh began, gazing beseechingly at his nephew before turning towards his daughter and entreating, "And Liling, I know you know your own destiny. Do what you know in your heart is right."

Zuko looks back at Iroh. He is unsure of whom to listen to. He shuts his eyes and hangs his head, trying to come to a decision, pounding his fists against his temples. Liling looks from Iroh to Zuko, her eyes unable to meet Azula's.

"You are free to choose." Azula allowed before waving a hand to the Dai Li agents, signaling them to leave. Both earthbend a stone cube under their feet and slide back up the ramp from which they entered. Azula gives one last look at her brother and cousin before departing through the tunnel Aang and Katara had gone through moments ago.

Once Azula and her cronies had disappeared, Iroh turned to face his daughter and nephew. He looked at Zuko imploring, wordlessly begging him to stay.

Bowing his head in shame, Zuko softly whispers, "I'm sorry." He then runs off after Azula.

"Zuko! No!" Liling cried in desperation, reaching an arm out to him. But she was too late. He was already gone. "Zuko. . ." she trailed off mournfully before turning to Iroh. He was still imprisoned by the rocks. With a well-placed stroke of lightning, fueled by her extra rage and anger at the situation that they currently found themselves in, the rock shattered, freeing Iroh.

Iroh rubbed his wrists appreciatively, glad to be free, before turning towards his daughter. With a heavy sigh, he closed the distance between them. If they were both to escape this and have a prayer of stopping Azula and Fire Lord Ozai before the world was destroyed, there was only one thing to do. Liling smiled knowingly at him, accepting what had to be done when they got back out there. Their time together was coming to a close. The duo began to make their way to the main chamber of the cave when a massive wave cut them off.

Scrambling to higher ground, Iroh and Liling managed to avoid the rushing water that came towards them just in time. Once the water had dissipated, they surveyed the scene before them. The Dai Li had been completely washed away. Katara catches Aang and the two land on the ground, Aang remaining unconscious. Zuko and Azula begin advancing on Katara and an unconscious Aang.

Katara moves to defend herself, preparing a water whip to deflect any attack from the Fire Nation siblings. Zuko sends a powerful fire blast at Katara, who uses her water to send the fire back towards its sender. Zuko ducked out of the way just in time, however, the fireball continued to sail towards Iroh. Liling hastily ducked, pulling Iroh down with her. This allowed the blast to sail safely over their heads. Unfortunately, the blast flew straight into the cave wall behind them, causing debris to spray out towards Iroh and Liling. Liling was instantly struck by the rubble and quickly faded into unconsciousness.

Iroh had seen enough. He jumps between Katara and his niece and nephew, entering his bending stance. "You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" he shouts to Katara. Iroh punches left and right, shooting fire blasts at any potential attackers, as Katara makes her escape with Aang. He lowers his stance and defends against the stone gloves the Dai Li agents throw at him. Iroh waves both hands forward and flings powerful blast of fire from his fingertips. Katara goes to the waterfall and bends the water. She forms a rising and twisting current that lifts her and Aang upward. Iroh ceases his attack and quietly surrenders once they are out of danger. Two Dai Li agents bend a ring of crystals around Iroh and trap him. Zuko stares blankly at his uncle. Iroh stares back at his nephew for a moment and turns his head down sadly, saying nothing as he watches Liling heftily picked up by a Dai Li agent as the others take him to the Earth Kingdom dungeons.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: The Right Path**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

With the Earth King officially overthrown and the Avatar and his friends fleeing, the Fire Nation had officially conquered the city of Ba Sing Se. Azula is sitting on the Earth King's throne while Zuko stands next to her. "We've done it Zuko. It's taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has finally conquered Ba Sing Se." Azula says triumphantly to her brother, greedily gazing about the room.

"I betrayed Uncle." Zuko regretfully replied, incapable to say anything else. His betrayal of Iroh and Liling for that matter was all he had been able to think about for the past hour. He regretted doing so, for not choosing good, but at the same time he had finally taken down the Avatar, taken down the one person who could grant him his honor back, the honor he had been ripped apart from for the past three years. Well, Azula actually had but he had helped.

Seeming to sense exactly what Zuko was thinking, Azula looks at her brother steadily. "No, _he_ betrayed you. Zuko, when you return home, Father will welcome you as a war hero."

Still not making eye contact, he replies, "But I still don't have the Avatar, I didn't strike the blow that sent him and his friends fleeing for their lives. What if Father doesn't restore my honor?"

Azula stands up, then, and places a hand on Zuko's shoulder. Zuko lifts his head and looks at her sadly. "He doesn't need to Zuko. Today, you restored your own honor."

Zuko turns away from Azula and looks down pensively. Suddenly a Dai Li agent runs into the room. Upon being noticed by Azula, he quickly bows and informs her, "Princess Azula, Princess Liling has finally stirred from unconsciousness."

Smiling at the news, Azula turns towards Zuko and asks, "Would you like to go see how our cousin is faring? That should surely put you in a good mood, given how much time the two of you have spent together for the past few years." She almost sounded jealous, but Zuko knew better than to think that.

Looking at nothing, in particular, Zuko wordlessly agreed to go. The two walked side by side, shortly arriving outside Liling's quarters. Timidly standing to the side, Zuko was soon shoved out of the way by Azula who barged inside as though she owned the place, even though she technically did, completely unannounced.

Her eyes snapping towards the opening door and seeing just who her newly arriving guests were, Liling smiles up at them from her bed. "I was wondering when you two would visit me."

"Of course. At times like this, family needs to stick together more than ever. Especially with Uncle's betrayal. Besides Father, you two are the only people I can trust." Azula replied haughtily, flicking a lock of hair behind her ear. Zuko couldn't bear to look at Liling. He had chosen Azula over Iroh and the shame was so painful on his conscious that it felt like a physical pain, to the point where he could look at nothing but the ground. Being in the same room with his cousin was reminder enough of his betrayal. He simply stood there in silence while Azula continued talking. "So rest up because we depart for the Fire Nation early tomorrow morning."

Smirking slightly, Liling fully sat up and said, "I could leave now."

Azula, while happy to hear it, gently shoved her back down on the bed and instructed, "You will do no such thing. Rest until our departure. Zuko, fix her some tea. I've got a city to rule."

She left before Zuko could argue. His mouth hung open as he realized Azula had been serious. Sighing indignantly, he put a pot on the fire and set it to boil. He worked in silence, and after a while he took the pot off, certain he had done as good a job as Iroh or Liling ever had, hoping that working in a tea shop for several weeks had taught him the proper way to brew tea. Walking over to Liling, Zuko messily thrust the cup into Liling's hands.

"Thank you, Zuko," Liling replied appreciatively, taking a deep gulp from the mug. However, as soon as the liquid touched her tongue, she grimaced in disgust. Her eyes flickered over to Zuko, who was looking at her expectantly. "It's um. . . very bracing. I feel refreshed already."

Zuko perked up at that. "Really," he began, "Because I would be happy to pour you another cup. You must be thirsty anyway. After all, you've been out of it for nearly two days."

Hearing this, Liling did the spit-take she had been holding back for the past few minutes. "Nearly two days? What have I missed exactly?"

"Y-you mean you don't remember?" Zuko asked her tentatively.

"Nothing that I can recall. I remember a cave, and the Avatar, and then. . . blackness." Liling explained, trailing off. "Why? Is there something else I should know?" she added as an afterthought.

Zuko looked down at his own cup of tea, replying, "No. I'm just glad you're safe."

Liling beamed up at him and despite how terrible the tea tasted, she took another sip. She and Zuko sat in silence for the longest time before Zuko finally got up and left. Liling watched him go, a sad smile stretching out on her lips. Checking to make sure the coast was completely clear, she forced herself out of bed and hobbled down the hallway, looking for the dungeons. She felt bad for lying to Zuko earlier, but she had perfectly remembered everything that had happened during the past two days. Pulling her cloak closer to her body and slinking along through the shadows, she made her way to the Earth Kingdom dungeons. After several minutes of stealthily making her way to the prison, she ducked past the guards and approached a particular cell. Removing her hood to reveal a bitter smile, Liling sat down and crossed her legs in front of the cell door. The occupant looked up at her and smiled warmly. "Hello, Iroh," she greeted him. "I brought you a cup of tea." She produced a mug from her cloak and passed it to Iroh through the door.

He graciously accepted before downing a sip. Smacking his lips appreciatively, he replied, "Thank you, Liling."

She frowned in response and looked him up and down. Leaning against the prison bars she said, "I hate to see you this way. I have half the mind to bust you our right this very second."

Iroh shook his head and replied, "Azula would simply order me back, and you along with me. No, you are needed to stay with Zuko and guide him as I can no longer. And stop Azula and my brother from taking over the rest of the world."

Sighing in defeat, Liling replied, "I know, but I'd still feel better if you weren't trapped here."

Iroh produced a small smirk then, and informed his daughter coyly, "I'll be out of here sooner than you think. Just make sure to keep Zuko on the right path. And don't forget to visit."

"I'll do my best," Liling promised, refilling his cup. They remained talking throughout the night, Liling finally leaving to sneak back into her room early in the morning before Azula or Zuko could notice she was missing.


	28. Chapter 28

**AN: Merry Christmas Eve everyone! Whether you celebrate Christmas or another holiday, I hope you enjoy this early present and have a happy holiday!**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Welcome Home**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Seated on top of a very high balcony at the royal plaza facing a large crowd of Fire Nation citizens, Azula, Zuko, and Liling reside, being introduced by the court announcers Li and Lo. "Your Princess Azula, clever and beautiful, disguised herself as the enemy and entered the Earth Kingdom's capital. In Ba Sing Se she found her brother, Zuko, and their cousin, Liling, and together, they faced the Avatar. And the Avatar fell, and the Earth Kingdom fell. Azula's agents quickly overtook the entire city. They went to Ba Sing Se's Great Walls, and brought them down! The armies of the Fire Nation surged through the wall and swarmed over Ba Sing Se, securing our victory. Now the heroes have returned home. Your princess, Azula! And after three long years, your prince and princess have returned. Zuko and Liling!"

Zuko and Liling walk side by side out onto the balcony and face the crowd. The Fire Nation citizens cheer for them. Zuko sullenly gazes over the crowd while Liling waves graciously. The two stare out at their adoring citizens as Azula joins them, stepping between them. She waves to the crowd cordially before placing a hand on either of their shoulders, pulling her brother and cousin closer to her, much to the love and adoration of the crowd gathered below them.

* * *

The guard spins around, leveling his spear. He recognizes the hooded figure. "You again? Stop where you are." The figure raises its head, revealing a well-known face coupled with her telltale luminescent hair. "Princess Liling?!" he gasps, lowering his weapon in shock.

Liling grabs him by the collar and slams him against the wall, her nails digging into his cheaply made uniform. In a tone of insolent menace, she hisses, "I'm going in for a visit. You're going to stand guard here, and no one is going to know about this." The guard can only nod as Liling lowers him before walking forward into the Fire Nation prison, a small smirk plastered on her lips as she observed her nails.

She soon reaches a cell. The cell is bisected by a wall of bars so that one half is accessible from the door and the other half serves as a cage. Iroh, unkempt and dressed in rags, is seated cross-legged on a mat, facing the wall to the right of the cell door as Liling enters it. Liling walks in and up to the bars. Lowering her hood, she says with a small smile, "Iroh. It's me."

Iroh turns to look at her, then, and smiles, pushing his unkempt hair out of his eyes. "It's good to see you. How are things?"

"Apart from Azula and our beloved Fire Lord having complete control over the entire world, you being imprisoned, and myself being nearly powerless to stop them, things are just swell," Liling explained, her hushed tone reaching a panicked crescendo as the sentence neared an end.

Iroh reached through the bars and placed a reassuring hand on his daughter's shoulder. "It will be alright. Just take a deep breath and relax. Trust me, everything will right itself in the end."

Heaving a heavy sigh, Liling smiled appreciatively and replied, "I needed that. Thank you." She slides him a cup of tea before laughing. At Iroh's arched brow, she explains, "It's funny that even though you're the one in prison, you're comforting me when I should be the one comforting you."

Seeing the humor in that, Iroh chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "It's alright, Liling. In fact, I wouldn't want to trade places with you. I'd rather be left to my own devices in this dungy dungeon rather than imprisoned inside the walls of the Palace, under the watchful eyes of both Azula and my brother."

"Funny," Liling mumbled, "Really funny, that. You're not wrong, though. It hasn't been pleasant dealing with Azula. I'm fortunate that I can stay shut up in my room most of the time under the pretense that I am still resting from the injury I sustained when the Avatar was struck by Azula before fleeing Ba Sing Se. I'm dreading my encounter with the Fire Lord if he even deems me worthy of his time to converse with me that is."

"Glad to see my point has been made," Iroh said with a sad smile. He was trying to make light of the horrible situation he and his daughter had found themselves in but the fact remained that their situation was _not_ light; it was dire. They had to plot their every move well in advance to avoid punishments worse than imprisonment. Iroh was just grateful that Liling was still able to walk free and that Azula seemed to have a soft spot for her because that was probably the only reason his daughter had not been thrown into the cell with him.

"I should get going. The guard out front will only be so shaken for so long. Goodbye, Iroh, I'll see you soon." Liling said after a moment, interrupting the heavy silence.

Iroh smiled sadly as he watched her go. After she had fully disappeared, he took a small sip of the tea. Looking down at the cup, he sighed dejectedly. Even tea couldn't cheer him up now.

* * *

Liling was reading a scroll in her room, her eyes skimming but not absorbing any of the actual material. She was too on edge to actually get anything done. Taking a sip of tea, she was interrupted by Azula, who entered her room unannounced. "So I hear you've been to visit Uncle Fatso in the prison tower."

Dismissing the insult, Liling simply asked, "That guard told you?"

With a smug look on her face, Azula replied, "No, you did. Just now."

"Okay, you caught me. What is it that you want, Azula?" she asked, holding her hands up in mock surrender.

"Actually, nothing. Believe it or not, I'm looking out for you. If people find out you've been to see your father, they'll think you're plotting with him. Just be careful." Azula replied with genuine concern etched on her face.

Doing her best to suppress her suspicious glance, Liling smiles fondly at her childhood friend and said, "I had no idea you cared so much." She grabs Azula by her hands and forces her down on the bed beside her. "We haven't spent any time together since I left with Zuko over three years ago. We should do something together soon."

Smirking slightly, Azula replied, "I was just thinking the same thing actually. A trip to Ember Island. The two of us, Ty Lee, Mai, and even Zuko. How does that sound?"

Liling clapped her hands excitedly before replying, "That sounds marvelous. Goodness knows I need to get away from it all."

"Then it's decided. Pack your belongings because tomorrow we depart for Ember Island."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: Ember Island**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island. It's gonna be great to hang out on the beach and do nothing." Ty Lee rests her hands behind her head and closes her eyes with a satisfied smile.

"Doing nothing is a waste of time," Zuko says, standing up. "We're being sent away on a forced vacation." Zuko walks over to the balustrade, leans against it, and stares out to sea. "I feel like a child," he adds bitterly.

"Lighten up. So dad wants to meet with his advisors alone without anyone else around. Don't take it personally." Azula snaps at him.

Ty Lee turns away from the water and asks, "Doesn't your family have a house on Ember Island?"

"We used to come every summer when we were kids to Fire Lord Ozai's beach house," Liling informed her, moving to stand between her and Azula.

"That must've been fun!" Ty Lee enthused happily.

"That was a long time ago." Zuko cut in bitterly, his eyes squinting as he looked out across the water.

The rest of the trip to the approaching island was traveled in silence. As the boat approaches the coast, they see court members Li and Lo standing on the dock. "Welcome to Ember Island, kids." The twins call in excited unison. After the five teens left the boat, Li and Lo lead them to a small, shabby beach cottage. They enter an ornate tropical room. Azula walks skeptically into the room, closely followed by Liling and Ty Lee.

"It smells like old lady in here." Zuko remarks as he and Mai file in.

"Gee, I wonder why," Mai says sarcastically, looking at Li and Lo.

"Who are these two beautiful women?" Ty Lee asks of Li and Lo, pointing to a portrait of two young, beautiful looking twins.

"Can't you tell?" The elderly twins ask in unison, striking the identical seductive pose from the painting.

Zuko covers his mouth to prevent himself from getting sick and Mai puts a hand over his eyes. Azula scowls as Liling and Ty Lee cover their eyes, giggling.

After a moment, Ty Lee lies back onto a maroon bedspread. Snuggling against a pillow, she coos, "Ooh, I love this seashell bedspread!"

Raising her eyebrows in obvious disgust, Mai asks, "Are you serious? It looks like the beach threw up all over it."

"We know you're upset that you were forced to come here this weekend. But Ember Island is a magical place. Keep an open mind." Li instructed wisely.

"Give it a chance," Lo added helpfully.

"...and it can help you understand yourselves and each other." the twins added in unison. "The beach has a special way of smoothing even the most ragged edges." In an identical series of motions, they clap and strip off their robes, revealing their swimwear. "Time to hit the beach!"

* * *

The beach is scattered with people and red and yellow beach tents. There are some smaller beach bungalows, as well as some larger, more magnificent properties interspersed around the cliff face. Liling, Azula, Ty Lee, Zuko, and Mai walk along the beach, through crowds of beach-goers. Mai and Zuko set up an umbrella to sit under as Azula destroys a kids sand castle. As the kids flee from the demolished ruins, Azula laughs, clutching her sides with glee.

Shouldering her beach bag, Liling gave Azula a simpering smile and called over to her, "Azula, why don't you join me and Ty Lee over here? You can never get too much sun."

"Yeah, c'mon, Azula, it will be fun!" Ty Lee cried with glee.

Azula waved them off dismissively, saying, "Just because I'm a Fire Nation Princess doesn't mean I like to get burned. You two have fun with that."

Shrugging, Liling and Ty Lee continued walking down the beach, looking for the perfect spot. A gawky young fire nation teen boy springs over to them, eagerly asking, "Hey, you need some help unpacking?"

Ty Lee and Liling exchange a mischievous glance before Ty Lee replies, "Sure, thanks." They both dump their enormous bags into the boys awaiting arms, knocking him to the ground. The teen crouched by the bags, rapidly emptying the contents of both. He quickly throws every item out one at a time, lastly pulling out two pink towels. He spreads the towels out with a flourish as Liling and Ty Lee smile appreciatively at him. Liling pulls out a lengthy scroll and begins to read as Ty Lee squints up at the harsh sun. "Could you scooch just a little bit more to the. . ." Ty Lee began, but before she could finish, the boy hastened to move so that he was blocking the sun. "Perfect." She winks up at him.

Soon after, a second teen crouches in front of Ty Lee and presents her with a shell. "Wow, thanks. This is so pretty," she replied, taking the shell from him.

"Not as pretty as you are." the boy replies impishly, running his fingers through his hair.

"That shell's not so great!" the boy standing between Ty Lee and the sun scoffed, crossing his arms indignantly.

Liling exchanged a smirk with Ty Lee before continuing her scroll, happy for Ty Lee and the attention she was getting. It was a stark contrast from the attention she had received from during the circus.

"Hey, beach bums, we're playing next," Azula commanded towards her brother, cousin, and two friends. Liling flipped up and off the ground, shaking the sand off of her bikini. Zuko and Mai reluctantly stand up and emerge out from under their umbrella. Only Ty Lee remains, surrounded by the two Fire Nation boys. "Ty Lee, get over here now!" Azula repeated in a fierce voice. Ty Lee rolls off her towel into a handstand and walks over on her hands, smiling.

The five teens huddled together on the volleyball court, ready to tear apart their opponents. "See that girl with the silly pigtails?" Azula and the others look up toward the volleyball players, specifically gazing at a pigtailed Fire Nation girl kicking the ball around. "When she runs towards the ball, there's just the slightest hesitation of her left foot. I'm willing to bet a childhood injury has weakened her. Keep serving the ball to her left and we'll destroy her, and the rest of her team. Dismissed!" And with that moving speech from Azula, the team split apart and took their stances.

Azula throws the ball up toward the sun and then launches it toward the other team, who missed it completely. Zuko slides for the ball and kicks it up into the air. Liling runs toward it, spins around and smacks it toward the pig-tailed girl. The pig-tailed girl dives but misses the ball completely. The ball flies over a crowd of Fire Nation teens and lands next to two Fire Nation Teen boys. Ty Lee zooms through the air toward the ball. She kicks it and then lands like a tight ropewalker on the net. Mai runs toward the ball and hits it with her knee. Azula runs up Zuko's back, propelling herself into the air, kicking the ball with all her power. The ball zooms toward the ground catching flame. The ball lands in a fiery explosion, setting fire to the net.

Through the volleyball net, which is on fire, Azula's face dons a sinister look. "Yes, we defeated you for all time! You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!" She then turns casually toward her fellow teammates and in an airy tone adds, "Well, that was fun."

Two Fire Nation boys who had been watching the game approach Ty Lee. "Hi there. I'm Chan and I'm having a party tonight. You should come by."

"Sure! I love parties!" Ty Lee says eagerly, turning towards him.

The other boy denoted to Liling and Mai as he added, "Your other friends can come, too."

"What about me and my brother?" Azula inquires, crossing her arms in patent displeasure. "Aren't you going to invite us?" The two boys look at each other skeptically as Azula sighs before asking curiously, "You don't know who we are, do you?"

"Don't you know who _we_ are? We're Chan and Ruon Jian." Chan informs her, giving her a smile. "But fine, you're invited. Just so you know though, some of the most important teenagers in the Fire Nation are gonna be at this party so try and act normal."

"We'll do our best," Azula promised, an evil grin lighting up her face. The look went unnoticed by Chan and Ruon Jian, who exchanged a look before walking away from the group.


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: Since it's the first day of 2018, I decided to post a new chapter to celebrate. Hope everyone had an amazing new years eve and is ready to enjoy a brand new year!**

* * *

 **Chapter 30: The Party**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell those guys who we were?" Zuko asked of Azula as the teens dug into a delicious supper at Li and Lo's house.

"Yes, that does rather seem out of character for you, Azula," Liling noted, taking a sip of her tea.

"I guess I was intrigued. I'm so used to people worshipping us." Azula supplied with a simple shrug.

Ty Lee frowned slightly before replying, "They should."

"Yes, I know, and I love it!" Azula replied quickly. "But for once, I just wanted to see how people would treat us if they didn't know who we were."

"Like waves washing away the footprints on the sand, Ember Island gives everyone a clean slate. Ember Island reveals the true you." The elderly twins both stand up and clap twice. They then raise one arm each in excitement and shout, "To the party!"

* * *

It wasn't long before the group arrived at Chan and Ruon Jian's house. Azula's fingers wrapped around the ornate gold knocker on a large wooden door and bluntly knocked twice. The door opens to reveal Chan, who looks incredibly displeased. Gesturing to the empty room, he points out, "Um. . . You're a little early. No one's here yet."

"I heard you telling someone you'd be partying from dusk till dawn." Azula said before denoting to the horizon, adding, "It's dusk so we're here."

Rolling his eyes, Chan groaned, "But that's just an expression."

"We are the perfect party guests. We arrive right on time because we are very punctual." Azula makes a chopping motion with her left hand, hitting her right hand as she says 'punctual'.

Chan simply shrugs in reply and gestures for them to come inside, knowing there was no way to get rid of them. "All right, listen, My dad's an admiral. He has no idea I'm having this party so don't mess anything up."

As they entered the house, Azula shooed her friends away and approached Chan. When he finally turned around and looked at her, Azula said, "That's a sharp outfit, Chan. Careful, you could puncture the hull of an Empire-Class Fire Nation Battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea. . ." she stops for a second, pointing at his outfit, "because it's so sharp."

"Um. . ." Chan points less enthusiastically at Azula. "Thanks."

Azula gives him an enthusiastic smile, which quickly turns to a frown as Chan walks away. Liling approaches her and wraps a consoling arm around her cousin's shoulders. "Sorry about that. He doesn't know what he's missing out on. Just remember, you're royalty. He's a peasant."

"Of course all of those things are true, but that doesn't make me want him any less." Azula pointed out with a small scowl.

"Look," Liling began, pointing out something in the corner. "There's a master at work. Just look at her go." Azula followed the trail set by Liling's index finger and saw Ty Lee in a corner, surrounded by pestering boys.

"So how do you know Ty Lee?" one boy asked possessively.

The boy in question turned and thrust his face into the other boys. "I met her at the beach today. She was pretty impressed by a sand pagoda that I made for her."

"Yeah, well, I met her first." a third snapped, crossing his arms in victory.

"Look, it doesn't matter who I met first 'cause I like you all." Ty Lee cried, attempting to assuage them all.

"But which one of us do you like?" one of the boys asked her as they encroached further and further towards Ty Lee.

"Yeah. Tell us." the others asked in unison.

Ty Lee looks confused and gestures for everyone to back-off as she replies, "I don't know, I don't know." The boys refused to back-off so Ty Lee did the only thing she could think of. Ty Lee does a series of punches and kicks. The huddle of boys slowly falls toward the ground after being knocked out by Ty Lee. She subsequently cartwheels through her newly cleared path and makes her way over to Azula and Liling.

"Oh, I'm glad you're here. Those boys won't leave me alone. I guess they all just like me too much." Ty Lee said happily, hiding behind her friends.

"Come on, Ty Lee, you can't be this ignorant." Azula snapped enviously.

"What are you talking about?" Ty Lee asked, her face falling at Azula's tone.

Azula, leaning coolly against a wooden beam, explained, "Those boys only like you because you make it so easy for them. You're not a challenge. You're a tease. It's not like they actually care who you are." Ty Lee subsequently burst into tears. She covers her eyes as Liling comfortingly wraps her arms Ty Lee and shoots Azula a look. With an eye-roll, Azula attempts to pacify Ty Lee. "Ok, ok, calm down. I didn't mean what I said. Look, maybe I just said it because I was a little. . ." Azula stops suddenly and looks around, making sure no one else is around to hear them before she continues in a hushed whisper, "jealous."

Ty Lee removes her head from Liling's shoulder, her tears instantly vanishing as she looked up in surprise. "What? You were jealous of me? But, you're the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world."

Azula, turning away from Ty Lee and Liling, admits, "Well, you're right about all those things. But for some reason when I meet boys they act as if I'm going to do something horrible to them."

Laughing, Ty Lee carelessly replies, "But you probably would do something horrible to them."

Azula turns back toward Ty Lee, looking a bit sad. Gently shoving Ty Lee out of the way, Liling quickly interjected, "I'm sure they're just intimidated by you."

Nodding quickly, Ty Lee advised, "Ok, look, if you want a boy to like you just look at him and smile a lot and laugh at everything he says, even if it's not funny."

Looking down, Azula's eyebrows scrunch uncomfortably as she says, "Well, that sounds really shallow and stupid." However, she suddenly looks up grinning. "Let's try it."

Clearing her throat, Ty Lee leans against a wooden beam, posing coolly and pretending to be a boy. "Hey, there sweet sugar cakes," she pauses, pointing coolly towards Azula, "How ya likin' this party?"

Azula laughs loud and unnaturally, drawing the attention of everyone at the party. Liling snorted quickly into her sleeve at Azula's not so suave flirting technique. After everyone went back to what they were doing, Azula turned to Liling and Ty Lee and asked hopefully, "Do you think I'm ready?"

"Truthfully, he's a fool if he doesn't want to date you," Liling answered, giving Azula a friendly nudge.

"Yeah, Liling's right, Azula, you've got this in the bag!" Ty Lee added as she and Liling lightly pushed Azula towards Chan.

She spared them one last look, receiving four thumbs up, before turning towards Chan and declaring, "Chan, I'm ready for a tour of the house." Chan hands his drink to the girl he had initially been talking to and gestures for Azula to follow him. Azula places her drink on the same girl's head before the two walk outside onto the balcony. Liling and Ty Lee faced each other and squeal happily, their plan having worked. If Azula would keep her head on straight, she could score with Chan.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Chan came running back into the house, seemingly fleeing from Azula. Ty Lee and Liling exchange anxious glances before heading outside to check on their friend.

"Azula?" Ty Lee called as they stood framed in the doorway.

"Oh, it's just you two," Azula mumbled bitterly, hugging herself, arms tightly clenched around her abdomen. Things clearly did not end well between herself and Chan. Liling and Ty Lee joined her, leaning against the balcony railing and staring out across the sea. "What's wrong with me?" Azula asked, stirring the melancholy quiet.

Her face hardening, Liling earnestly replied, "There's nothing wrong with you, Azula. So you didn't hit it off with one guy? It's not the end of the world. Besides, he was nothing special. There's plenty of eligible men back home that live in the palace and are of royal status."

"I know, but I was hoping that I could be considered attractive and desirable by at least one boy who didn't know who I was," Azula admitted meekly.

Frowning slightly, Liling said, "Let's leave, then. We've got better places to be then in this lame house anywhere. Chan's entire house isn't even as large as the palace courtyard." the last part was added with a snide laugh, hoping to cheer up Azula.

The plan worked. Azula cracked a smug grin and replied "That sounds like a good idea. Let's leave this dump." Looping one arm around Liling's, and another around Ty Lee's, Azula leading them back inside. They soon collected Mai and Zuko and left.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: True Selves**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

The five teens were on the beach outside Li and Lo's house, sitting around an unlit campfire. Mai gave an involuntary shiver. Zuko turned to look at her and asked, "Are you cold?" He moves to put his arm around her, but she slaps it away.

"I'm freezing." Ty Lee supplied, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Zuko smiled appreciatively down at her and offered, "I'll make a fire. There's plenty of stuff to burn in there." Zuko left them and walked into the beach house, emerging mere moments later with a massive family portrait. Upon closer inspection, it was of himself, Azula, their mother Ursa, and Fire Lord Ozai. With vindictive pleasure, Zuko threw the painting into the flames, which crackled happily and rapidly grew, sparks flying, contrasting brightly with the inky night sky.

"What are you doing?" Ty Lee cried, making a grab for the portrait.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Zuko said bitterly.

Ty Lee's nose crinkled slightly as she replied, "But it's a painting of your family."

Zuko turned on her suddenly, fists clenched in a fierce rage. "You think I care?"

"I think you do." Ty Lee replied quietly.

"You don't know me, so why don't you just mind your own business!" He turns away from her, then, unable to stand the sight of her any longer.

Refusing to look away from Zuko, Ty Lee gently shook her head, saying, "I know you."

"No, you don't," he says, waving his arm angrily. "You're stuck in your little Ty Lee world, where everything's great all the time."

"Zuko, leave her alone." Liling snapped at him angrily.

Ignoring his cousin, Zuko says in a mocking tone, "'I'm so pretty, look at me. I can walk on my hands, whoo!'" Zuko does a handstand and walks around on his hands before falling to the ground with a dull thud. "Circus freak!" he spits.

Tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, Ty Lee defended herself, saying, "Yes, I'm a circus freak. Go ahead and laugh all you want. You wanna know why I joined the circus?"

"Here we go," Azula mumbles with a slightly annoyed eye-roll.

"Do you have any idea what my home life was like, growing up with six sisters who look exactly like me? It was like, I didn't even have my own name. I joined the circus because I was scared of spending the rest of my life as part of a matched set. At least, I'm different now. Circus freak is a compliment!" Ty Lee snapped at them all, not stopping to wipe away her tears.

"Guess that explains why you need ten boyfriends, too." Mai sarcastically quipped.

Ty Lee looked angrily toward Mai and put her hands on her hips, gasping, "I'm sorry, what?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Mai explained, "Attention issues. You couldn't get enough attention when you were a kid, so you're trying to make up for it now."

"Well, what's your excuse, Mai? You were an only child for fifteen years, but even with all that attention, your aura is this dingy, pasty, gray…" Ty Lee heatedly asked.

Angrily huffing, Mai snapped, "I don't believe in auras."

"Yeah," Zuko chuckled, "you don't believe in anything."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry I can't be as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you," Mai said, angrily turning to him.

"I'm sorry, too. I wish you would be high-strung and crazy for once instead of keeping all your feelings bottled up inside. She just called your aura dingy. Are you gonna take that?" Zuko asked, denoting from Mai to Ty Lee.

Mai lays back carelessly on the rock she is sitting on and asks, "What do you want from me? Do you want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted. As long as I behaved and sat still and didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my Dad's political career to think about."

Gazing carelessly at her fingernails, Azula airily replied, "Well, that's it, then. You had a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself."

Standing up, Mai looked at her and yelled, "You want me to express myself? Leave me alone!"

"I like it when you express yourself," Zuko says, reaching for her.

Mai jerks away, yelling, "Don't touch me. I'm still mad at you."

"My life hasn't been that easy, either, Mai." Zuko begins but is quickly interrupted.

Crossing her arms tightly across her chest, Mai snaps, "Whatever. That doesn't excuse the way you've been acting."

"Yes, Zuko, you're not the only sob story in this family. My life hasn't been all that great either, but you don't see me going on a yelling spree as a result." Liling began, poking him lightly in the chest.

Zuko turned to her and yelled, "Oh, right, because your life is so terrible. What could you possibly have to complain about?"

Grinding her teeth together, Liling took a deep breath before shouting, "For starters, both my mother and my brother are dead! I will never see either of them again! You think you're the only one who knows about suffering and loss but you're not! When Iroh retreated from Ba Sing Se, I was humiliated by association. The entire royal court considered me a laughing stock. And it doesn't help that he is sitting in _prison_ , rotting away for the rest of eternity, because of his betrayal in Ba Sing Se less than a week ago. Not to mention that I went into exile with you for over three years! That didn't exactly elevate my standing with our people. I could have stayed and enjoyed my cushy palace lifestyle but I chose to help you. So yes, I do have a lot of things to complain about."

"Calm down, you guys. This much negative energy is bad for your skin. You'll totally break out." Ty Lee warned fervently.

"Bad skin? Normal teenagers worry about bad skin. I don't have that luxury. My father decided to teach me a permanent lesson on my face." shouts Zuko, pointing toward his scar.

"Sorry, Zuko, I…" Ty Lee trailed off as Zuko began walking away from her.

Looking at his hands, Zuko sighed, "For so long, I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy. I'm back home, now my dad talks to me. Huh, he even thinks I'm a hero. Everything should be perfect, right? I should be happy now, but I'm not. I'm angrier than ever and I don't know why."

"There's a simple question you need to answer then. Who are you angry at?" Azula asked.

Looking down, Zuko replies, "No one. I'm just angry."

"Yeah, who are you angry at, Zuko?" Ty Lee inquires curiously.

"Everyone…" Zuko trails off. Covering his ears in frustration, he continues, "I don't know."

"Is it Dad?" Azula asked with a small, smug smile.

"No, no!" Zuko shouted.

"Surely not Iroh?" Liling questioned.

"Me?" Azula asked, pointing to herself.

"No, no... No, no." Zuko shakes his head in frustration.

"Then who? Who are you angry at?" Mai begs.

"Answer the question, Zuko," Azula demands sternly.

"Talk to us." Ty Lee adds pleadingly.

"Come on, answer the question," Liling asks imploringly.

"Come on, answer it." snaps Azula.

"I'm angry at myself!" Zuko finally yells. He throws his arms down and the campfire bursts into a column of flame. The girls cover their eyes to protect themselves from the fire. The fire burns out and the beach grows dark.

"Why?" Azula asks, breaking the silence.

"Because I'm confused. Because I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore." Zuko confessed.

"You're pathetic." Azula sneered at him, crossing her arms as a smug grin grew on her complexion.

Liling shot Azula a look that went unnoticed before turning towards Zuko and saying, "But that's what we're here for, Zuko, to show you the proper way."

Zuko's back is turned toward us as he looks out to sea. Mai approaches him and puts her arm around him. "I know one thing I care about... I care about you." Mai and Zuko kiss. Azula claps, causing them to separate and turn towards her.

Still clapping slowly, she says, "Well, those were wonderful performances, everyone."

"I guess you wouldn't understand, would you, Azula? Because you're just so perfect." Zuko bitterly inquires, pulling Mai closer to him.

Uncrossing her arms with an annoyed sigh, Azula said, "Well, yes, I guess you're right. I don't have sob stories like all of you. I could sit here and complain how our mom liked Zuko more than me, but I don't really care. My own mother… thought I was a monster. She was right, of course, but it still hurt."

Ty Lee's eyes lit up suddenly and she broke the awkwardly silent moment, exclaiming, "What Lo and Li said came true. The beach did help us learn about ourselves. I feel all smoothed. I'll always remember this."

"You know what would make this trip really memorable?" Azula asked, smiling as a devious glint formed in her eyes.

The rest of the group smirked, guessing what she was going to suggest.

* * *

Chan opens the door of his house, the party is still going on behind him. He looks very confused at the sight of Azula, Liling, Ty Lee, Mai, and Zuko, all waiting to be let in.

"We've got some bad news, Chan." Azula informed him, moving to stand in the doorframe.

Upon seeing Chan's confused look, Zuko smiles, and supplies, "Party's over."

Liling quickly flips into the house, knocking over an antique vase, causing it to smash on the floor. Zuko kicks a table full of food in half as party-goers run away screaming. Mai throws a knife down a wall cutting five tapestries in half. Ty Lee is crouched in the rafters. She swings down and pulls down two chandeliers which come crashing to the floor. Azula's arms cross and she looks around at the destroyed house, exceptionally pleased. The five teens make short work of the house, leaving it in shambles. Leaving the house in burning ruins, they walk back to their own beach house, pleased with their handiwork.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32: Forgotten Lifestyle**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Liling stretched sleepily as she arose from bed, yawning hugely. She and her four companions had arrived back from Ember Island late the previous night and she was exhausted despite sleeping heavily for the past eight hours. Standing up, she began to disrobe as she made her way to her private bath when a servant emerged from nowhere. "Gah!" Liling exclaimed, quickly pulling her robe shut.

The servant, unabashed, continued walking over towards her. "Relax, princess," she began, "I'm simply here to help you with your bath. Allow me to disrobe you." The servant moved to disrobe Liling. After a moment, Liling was happily settled into a bath. However, there was one downside; the water was absolutely freezing. Goosebumps instantly rose all along her arms. "Allow me to warm it for you." the servant provided, walking closer to the rim of the bath.

"I think I can take care of this one." Liling supplied, breathing steam from her nostrils. The water instantly warmed, the heat radiating from the tub filling the entire room. "Ah, now that's more like it." Liling sighed, leaning back into the hot, bubbly water.

The servant smiled slightly before saying, "Let me know if there is anything else I can get you," before leaving the room.

Liling watched her leave the room without saying a word. During her three years in exile, she had forgotten what it was like to be treated like royalty. It was strange to have someone offer to help her disrobe and run her a bath when she was more than capable of doing so herself, given that she had done just that for some time now. She delved farther into the water, lowering her body until the water was at level with her chin, the thick, foamy bubbles tickling her nose. She shut her eyes, hoping to make up for her lack of sleep when her door was thrown open for the second time that morning.

In walked two servants, both eager for the chance to help their returned princess. "Fresh fruit for breakfast, Princess Liling?" one of them asks, pulling her out of her reverie. She accepts a single piece of fruit and takes a bite.

"May I massage your feet, ma'am?"

"Hand massage?" the other asks.

The second one smiles before offering, "Hot towel?"

Liling looks at this option a little longer, sighs and then picks up a towel, rubbing her face before placing it back on the plate of towels. The servant bows and smiles happily, leaving Liling to her bath.

* * *

After her bath, Liling dressed without calling for a servant and left her room, bored out of her mind. Mentally listing her options, she frowned deeply. Azula was busy discussing strategy with Fire Lord Ozai, Zuko and Mai were surely on a date, and Iroh was in prison so she couldn't possibly visit him in broad daylight. The more often she visited, the greater the risk of getting caught remained. She frowned at how narrow her social circle was. However, another person suddenly sprung into her mind. Surely Ty Lee wasn't busy and wouldn't mind her company. Deciding that's who she would visit, Liling made her way out of the palace.

She walked through the large, elaborate gate that separated the palace from the homes of other distinguished Fire Nation citizens. Her attempt to remain stealthy was ruined when she is suddenly greeted by a large crowd of admirers. Smiling, she waves to them as four servants approached from behind, carrying a beautiful and elaborate palanquin.

"Princess Liling, is something wrong? You didn't take the palanquin." one of the servants questioned worriedly.

"I'm just going to Ty Lee's house, it's not far from here," Liling said, waving him off.

"It's not a Princess's place to walk anywhere, my lady." was the well-rehearsed reply.

Liling looks from across the courtyard and then back at the Palanquin. She smirks and approaches the Palanquin. The ride lasts a mere minute before stopping in front of Ty Lee's house. She pulls back the curtain and smiles at Ty Lee, who waves from a large ornate doorway.

"Liling! What are you doing here?" Ty Lee asked, flipping over to her friend before hugging her close.

"Visiting you, of course! Everyone else was busy so I thought I'd stop by. This isn't a bad time, is it?" Liling asked, concern creeping into her tone towards the end. If Ty Lee turned her away, there was no one else around here that she could spend time with without things being awkward.

Ty Lee's brow scrunched in confusion as she asked, "Isn't it a bad time for you? Don't you have an all-day war meeting today?"

"War meeting? What are you talking about? I'm not a direct blood descendant of the Fire Lord." Liling replied, surprised.

"But you are a direct descendant of General Iroh, the Fire Lord's brother. Besides, Azula made it sound like you were invited." Ty Lee explained.

Scratching the back of her neck, Liling said slowly, "Maybe I should check to see if I'm expected to sit on this meeting. Sorry for bothering you, Ty Lee."

Ty Lee threw her arms around Liling and replied, "No, no, no! I'm flattered you visited! Stop by after the war meeting and we'll totally hang out!"

"Thanks, TL! I'll see you soon. We'll have dinner together!" Liling promised, hugging her back.

* * *

Liling was palanquined from Ty Lee's house to where Azula could be found, being attended to by several servants, the main focus of the hour being her hair. "Hello, Liling. If you've come for a royal hair combing, I'm afraid you'll have to wait." Azula informed her as a servant brushed her black locks with an ornate, gold comb.

Liling placed smiled before replying, "No, no, I'm not here for that. I was actually wondering about the upcoming war meeting. According to Ty Lee, I'm supposed to be in attendance but I wanted to check with you before I decided to take her words to heart."

"Of course you're welcome there," Azula told her in a bored tone, as though she were pointing out the obvious.

"Oh, really? That's surprising given that I'm not a direct descendant of the Fire Lord's." Liling said in a pleasantly surprised tone.

Azula shifted her head from side to side, admiring how her finished hairdo looked as she replied, "No, but you are a descendant of Uncle Fatso, the Fire Lord's brother, and that's good enough for you to be in attendance."

Deciding to ignore the dig on Iroh, Liling simply waved at Azula as she began to walk out of the shop. "I'll see you at the meeting, Azula."

* * *

Before she attended the war meeting, there was one last person Liling had to visit. She briskly made her way through the Fire Nation prison and stopped outside Iroh's cell. Making sure the coast was clear, she let herself inside, pulling her hood back as she did so. Upon seeing his daughter, Iroh's eyes lit up. As she nestled down in front of him, he leaned against the bars and said, "I was starting to get worried. You've been gone for nearly two weeks."

Smiling sheepishly, Liling replied "Azula insisted that I go with her, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee to Ember Island. I had minutes to make my response and pack my bags or else I would have informed you where I was going."

"It doesn't matter now that I know you are safe. And it's so good to see you again." Iroh said with a heavy sigh.

Liling smiled sadly before saying, "I am safe, I promise. Not that I don't miss you, as well, but the main reason I came here was to tell you that I've been personally invited to attend the war council meetings from now on. I'm going to be attending one shortly."

"War council meetings?" Iroh's eyes lit up upon receiving confirmation. "This is perfect. Just perfect. Make sure to tell me how it goes."

"I promise. It's not like I'm going to do anything other than listen. I wouldn't dare open my mouth, especially after seeing what happened to Zuko for doing so three years ago." Liling told him in earnest, hanging her head sadly at the mention of Zuko. He was like a brother to her and it pained her deeply to see him struggle as he did with right and wrong. But she couldn't intervene, not yet.

After talking with Iroh for nearly half an hour, it was time she left. Bidding him farewell, Liling left, making her way towards the palace. She had a meeting to attend after all, and it would be inexcusable if she were to arrive late.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Ty Lee inquired lightly as Liling walked into her house for the second time that day.

"When I got to the meeting, everyone welcomed me. Fire Lord Ozai had even saved _me_ a seat. He wanted me up front, with himself and my cousins." Liling illustrated as she sat down on the ground, kneeling over the table.

"Liling, that's wonderful. You must be happy?" Ty Lee questioned, sitting across from her.

Shutting her eyes softly, Liling turned towards Ty Lee and replied with a genuine smile, "Yeah, I am. I really am." Ty Lee offered a smile in reply and the two supped together in silence, the meal and simply being in each other's company enough.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: The Escape**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Liling glided across the rough, stone floor of the Fire Nation prison, holding a tray of food. She turned towards the end of the hall and paused, allowing the guard who was keeping watch in front of a particular door open it for her. Liling brusquely walked through, announcing, "Lunchtime!" She knelt down before him and whispered, "And this time, I brought you an extra bowl of rice."

"Thank you, Liling. Your little gestures of kindness and frequent visits have made my days in prison bearable." Iroh told her fondly as the guard who allowed Liling clearance into the cell shut the door, leaving just the two of them inside. Once he was out of sight, Iroh's face turned serious as he turned to Liling and he added, "Are you ready?"

Nodding, she explained, "Everything's ready to go. All we need to do is wait for the eclipse to render the firebending guards powerless, and use that coupled with the Avatar's attack as a cover to make our escape. I have your means of transportation hidden behind the palace, which will go unnoticed by the Fire Lord, and anyone else of importance for that matter, because they are now making their way to their underground bunkers to wait out the attack. So if anyone does see us and attempt to impair our escape, it won't be much of a challenge for you to overtake them."

Nodding in approval, Iroh replied, "Good, good. This afternoon, we shall make our escape then. Have you packed? The palace might not be standing by the time we get back."

"I packed all the essential and sentimental items from both our rooms and placed them in each of our respective escape crafts, along with several items of clothing. Oh, and I made sure to pack only the finest teas from the private stores located below the kitchen." Liling told him, smiling at the delighted grin that formed on Iroh's lips at the sound of the delectable tea she had packed.

However, Iroh's grin faded just as quickly as he leaned forward and warily asked, "Are you sure that there is nothing I can do to convince you to come with me?"

Liling reached her arm through the bars and placed her hand on top of Iroh's in a reassuring gesture. "I know my destiny, and it is to help Zuko on the path of good. He has been struggling for years and he is so close now. I want to be there for him when he finally does. Besides," she added with a genuine smile, "You can't include me in your particular mission. It's a members-only club, remember?"

At that, Iroh smiled slightly before saying, "Be safe and remember your training. And be especially safe while leaving the palace. What you're doing, what we're doing, is considered the highest form of treason; punishable by nothing less than swift death if my brother is feeling merciful, and he never is. And once you are with the Avatar watch out because Azula will most likely take over Zuko's old mission of hunting him. So please be safe." By the end of his speech, his fingers were clenched tightly around Liling's and tears had welled up in Iroh's eyes, though he had not yet shed them.

Embracing the possible reality of the two never seeing each other again, Liling gave Iroh's hand a reassuring squeeze before replying, "I promise to be careful. But you have to be as well. I'll be with the Avatar which is the best possible protection I could receive. You, while the most capable fighter I know, will have only yourself to rely on for most of your journey. So if anyone needs to be careful, it's you."

"Do not worry about me. I'll be fine." Iroh stated reassuringly.

A semi-sweet smile blossomed on her own lips as Liling added, "I should get going now as to not arouse suspicion." She made to move but Iroh reached through the bars and placed a hand on her arm. Liling looked curiously at his hand, arching her brow in confusion.

"Be careful." he cautioned her yet again, concern deeply etched on his face.

"I always am. Make sure you are as well." Liling promised courageously, moving to stand up. She slowly exited the cell, paying Iroh one last glance before finally leaving.

* * *

Zuko runs down the dungeon hallway, his feet pounding against the stone floor. He bursts into the prison cell supposedly containing Iroh and furiously looks around. Inside, a single guard is found lying on the floor, looking disheveled and bloodied up. He looks up and then winces as Zuko runs past him. "Uncle!" he shouts in desperation, seeing that there is no one else in the room, however, apart from the guard. Zuko grabs the guard by the collar and heaves him up, shoving him into the wall. "Where is my Uncle?" he demands fiercely.

"He's gone. He busted himself out. I... I've never seen anything like it! He was like a one-man army!" the guard gushed, half in fear, half in awe.

Zuko was quick to drop him, causing to the guard to hit the ground with a thud. There was only one person he knew who could possibly know where Iroh was. He had to visit Liling.

* * *

"What do you mean she's gone?" Zuko asked, leaning against the doorway of the bunker Liling was supposed to have been in.

"I mean she's gone, Prince Zuko. She never arrived. I have no idea where Princess Liling is." the guard guarding the door reported in a quivering voice, fearing he would take the blame for the missing princess and dreaded the wrath of the recently unbanished prince.

"I know where she is." a voice called from behind. Zuko whipped around, searching for the source of the sound. It was Ty Lee. She held up an open scroll and unfurled it for Zuko to read. His eyes skimmed the paper frantically. Upon finishing, he froze, the parchment slipping from his fingers. "She's run away. I'm so sorry, Zuko." Ty Lee told him sadly, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye.

Snapping out of his daze, Zuko turned towards Ty Lee, scooping the scroll up from the floor. "Not as sorry as I am. I've got something I need to do," he said shortly, running away, leaving a very confused Ty Lee glued to the spot.

* * *

Making sure that he wasn't being followed, Zuko speedily crept down towards the docks where he had stowed away one of the newly developed Fire Nation war balloons. Having checked that no one was in sight, he straightened out of his crouch and began sprinting towards his means of escape. Placing one hand on the brim of the basket, he hoisted himself up in the air and neatly flipped inside. As Zuko began starting up the machine, a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Did they buy it?" the voice asked.

Not looking up from what he was doing, Zuko replied, "Yeah, our plan worked. Most of the guards believe you escaped with Uncle, as does Ty Lee, while no one else knows you're missing. And only my Father knows that I've run away so, for now, we're both safe. But that will not last long."

Nodding, Liling replied, "That's good. We couldn't have expected a cleaner escape."

With that, the two went to work in silence, focusing all their energy on following the Avatar and escaping unnoticed.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: Hello, Two Fire Nation Traitors Here**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

The firebending duo had been flying in the war balloon for several hours. It had been a while since they had escaped the Fire Nation and they had seen no sign of anyone following them. And as an added bonus, they had never lost sight of the Avatar's flying bison and had successfully managed to follow the Gaang to the Western Air Temple. As they approached, Zuko let out a mournful sigh.

Looking away from the controls, Liling frowned and said, "It's been a while, hasn't it?" After all, the temple was one of the first places they had looked on their quest for the Avatar back when Zuko had first been exiled.

Ignoring the comment, Zuko shielded his eyes from the sun as he surveyed the terrain. "We need to land before we're spotted."

Together, they landed the war balloon in a small yet desolate clearing where it would not be accidentally stumbled upon if anyone left the temple to explore the surrounding woods. Once they landed, the two gathered some climbing gear and prepared to descend the treacherous slope. They each drop a rope and slowly slide down, careful not to burn their hands. Once on a flat surface again, they examine their surroundings and note three airbending statues.

"What a stunning view. It's nice to see it hasn't changed at all since the last time we were here." Liling notes, craning her neck to get a better view of both the temple and the encompassing forest.

Zuko simply closes his eyes as he groans, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He still felt guilty for how curt he had been to both his Uncle and Liling during the beginning of his hunt for the Avatar. Now that he was hunting him for a different reason, he was hoping to make up for his previous behavior.

Suddenly Appa, the Avatar's flying bison, is heard growling above them. Both Zuko and Liling sink into crouches and look around. Looking towards his left, Zuko gasps in surprise and the two runoff. They duck behind a pillar as Appa lands in the clearing where they were just standing. The two watch the Avatar and his friends jump out of the saddle before fleeing the area, making their way into the forest.

* * *

"Hello," he raises his arm in greeting, "Zuko here. But I guess," he rubs his hand against the back of his head nervously, "you probably already know me. . . sort of. Uh. . . so, the thing is," he puts his arm down and looks to the side hesitantly, "I have a lot of firebending experience, and I'm," he places an arm on his chest with pride, "considered to be pretty good at it. Well, you've seen me. . . you know, when I was attacking you?" His eyes widen at his verbal mistake and he quickly rushes to amend his previous statement. "Uh, yeah. . . I guess," he places his fingers against his forehead in embarrassment before continuing, "I should apologize for that. But anyway," he waves an arm to the side dismissively, "I'm good now." Zuko clenches both fists and places one on his chest while the other arm is raised. "I mean, I thought I was good before, but now I realize I was bad." He gets visibly uncomfortable and drops his arms into a defeated slouch. "Ugh, but anyway. . . I think it's time I joined your group and taught," he suddenly straightens up with a sincere expression on his face and quickly finishes, "the Avatar firebending." After a moment of thought, he adds, "Well, what's your answer?"

"Well. . . it wasn't completely terrible." Liling replied with a nervous smile. She knew Zuko was trying his best but with that speech he'd be lucky to get within a mile of the Avatar's camp before being blasted back to the Fire Nation. "But you'll definitely get it next time," she added optimistically.

Zuko raises his arm to his head in despair and moaned, "How am I supposed to convince these people I'm on their side? What would Uncle do?" He looked to Liling then, given that if anyone was going to know what Iroh would do, it would be her.

After a brief moment of thought, she proceeds to imitate Iroh's voice and pretends to hold an imaginary beard on her chin as she says, "Zuko, you have to look within yourself, to save yourself," she releases his finger and points, "from your other self." She turns and paces in the opposite direction as she raises her finger as she pretends to be lecturing. "Only then will your true self-reveal itself."

Zuko sighs and presses a hand to his forehead. "I'm never going to be able to figure out what he means, even if that was spot on. What would Azula do?"

"That's an easy one." Liling began, raising the pitch of her voice. "Listen, Avatar, I can join your group or I can do something unspeakably horrible to you and your friends. Your choice."

"While accurate, that was not helpful. What would you do?" Zuko implored, sitting down on a log beside her.

Turning to face him she replies, "Honestly, your only option is to tell them the truth. They're not going to believe you at first and I hope you know that. I know you're good, Zuko, that you've always strived to be the best person possible, but I'm your family. Of course, I'm going to see the best in you. As for the Avatar and his friends? Well, you've been actively hunting them for three years. Don't take offense if they chase you off because they probably will. You're just going to have to be persistent until they finally believe you're good because up until now, you've been their biggest enemy. I'll be there with you and help defend your case, but it's going to take a lot of effort to convince them of this."

His face hardening with resignation, Zuko exhaled deeply before saying, "I know my destiny is to train the Avatar in firebending and defeat my Father. So I'll do whatever it takes to convince them. I won't let the Fire Nation continue to hurt the world anymore."


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: Bad at Being Good**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Hello, Zuko here." Zuko said in greeting, offering a small wave. "Hey, so, I heard you guys flying around down there, so I just thought I'd wait for you here," he adds, shrugging his shoulders slightly. Appa growls menacingly at Zuko as he takes a cautious step backwards and covers his face with his arms. Appa then proceeds to lick his back. Aang lowers his staff slightly in response. Zuko wipes off the slobber with his arm as he continues. "I know you must be surprised to see me here, well me and my cousin." he denotes to Liling as he says the last part. She waves lightly, knowing this encounter is not going to end well.

"Not really, since you've both followed us all over the world." Sokka bitterly remarks, a hostile expression on his face.

"Right. . . Well, uh. . . anyway, what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, we both have, and I uh, we're good now. And, well, I think my cousin and I should join your group. Oh, and we can teach firebending. . . to you." As he says this, a confused Aang lowers his staff further while Katara watches in disbelief. "See, I uh. . ." Zuko moved to continue but was interrupted by Toph.

"You want to what now?" she exclaims, slamming a foot on the ground in anger.

This shakes the rest of the Avatar's friends out of their daze as the rest of them quickly move to yell at Zuko. "You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?" Katara snaps at him.

"Yeah, all you've ever done is try to hunt us down and capture Aang," Sokka added defensively.

"I've done some good things. I mean, I could've stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free." He thrusts both arms out towards Appa to emphasize his point. "That's _something_."

"Appa does seem to like him," Toph said after a moment, breaking the icy silence.

Sokka pointed an accusing finger at Zuko and shouted, "He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it."

"I can understand why you wouldn't trust us, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past," Zuko admitted, gazing shamefully at the floor.

"Like when you attacked our village?" Sokka pointed out, crossing his arms in anger.

"Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?" Katara added, incensed, clenching her fists and stepping forward.

"Look, I admit I've done some awful things. And I didn't steal the necklace, I found it. But I was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should've sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. I'm gonna try to stop him." Zuko promised, imploring them to understand.

"Wait, you sent Combustion Man after us?" Sokka asked, whipping out his boomerang, itching to throw it at Zuko.

Zuko began to panic. This was _not_ how he imagined this conversation going. "Well, that's not his name, but. . ."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to insult your friend." Sokka sarcastically quipped, taking a defensive posture.

"He's not my friend!" Zuko angrily shouted.

"That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up," Toph added, raising her arms to mimic an explosion.

Zuko turns towards Aang and quietly asks, "Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me."

Aang stares at each of his friends, his eyes hardening. He turns to Zuko and angrily shouts, "There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done. We'll never let you join us."

"You need to get out of here, now," Katara adds in a cautious tone.

"I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore." Zuko steps towards the group, his arms held out in front of him in a peaceful manner.

Sokka extends his boomerang threatening, saying, "Either you leave, or we attack."

Reaching her arm out towards Zuko, Liling whispers, "We should go, Zuko. We'll think of something else."

He shrugs away from her and kneels before Aang. "If you won't accept me as a friend, then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner."

"No, we won't!" Katara cuts in, clenching her fists in fury. She proceeds to draw water from her waterbending pouch and waterbends towards Zuko, the small wave knocking him over. Zuko lays facedown on the ground in a puddle of water, sopping wet. "Get out of here and don't come back. And if we ever see you either one of you again. . . Well, we'd better not see you again!"

Zuko closes his eyes in defeat. Liling wraps her arms around his arm and the two leave the temple, making their way back to their campsite.

* * *

"Argh, I can't believe how stupid I am. I mean, what was I thinking? Telling them I sent an assassin after them? Why didn't I just say Azula did that? They would've believed that. Stupid!" He smacks his hand into his forehead again. Zuko then kneels on the ground and sighs in frustration.

Kneeling beside him, Liling pointed out, "At least you made an effort to speak with them. And this _is_ the Avatar we're talking about. He's bound to give you, to give us, a second chance despite our previous hunt for him and how poorly this last conversation went. We can't change the past or the hurt we caused his friends, but I believe they're good people and may come around to see our side."

All Zuko could do was nod. He wasn't as optimistic and couldn't give himself false hope by giving in to the thought that the Avatar or his friends would believe that he had changed and that he and Liling were on their side.

* * *

Later that night, Zuko and Liling had finally decided to get some rest. If the Avatar and his friends changed their minds, which was looking more and more unlikely, they would need their rest so that they wouldn't say any more self-accusatory statements. Together, the cousins built a small shelter, laid their sleeping bags inside, and put together a small fire in front of the shelter before going to sleep.

However, it wasn't long before the quiet of night was interrupted by the sounds of leaves and twigs rustling and snapping. Zuko and Liling wake up with a jolt. They scramble out of their sleeping bags and stare beyond the campfire, their thoughts jumping to the conclusion that the Fire Nation had finally caught up with them.

"Who's there?" Zuko calls as he sweeps his arm in an arc and firebends. "Stay back."

Toph earthbends a rock pillar in front of her as a form of protection from the fire. "It's me!" The pillar was constructed too late, however, as Toph takes a step back into the burning flames. "Ow!" she exclaims, agonizing pain raking across her body. She throws her head back in agony and falls down.

Zuko, appalled, rubs his eyes and brings them down to take a good look at whom he has accidentally burned. He exchanges a terrified look with Liling, guilt for what he has just done quickly eating at him.

"You burned my feet!" Toph accuses, frantically grabbing at her red, angry soles.

"I'm sorry, it was a mistake!" Zuko cries, rushing towards her.

Liling is quick to join him, rushing towards where Toph is. "It's ok! We brought medicine! I can help!"

Toph shakily pushes herself off the ground and screams, "Get away from me!" She then proceeds to throw a massive chunk of earth from the ground towards Zuko and Liling. The two firebending cousins dodge the rock as she gets on her knees and crawls while earthbending chunks of earth back to where Liling and Zuko are. The two dodge the chunks deftly but unfortunately are too busy doing that to get to where Toph is and help her.

"Let us help you." Liling implores, catching up to where Toph is.

"I'm sorry!" Zuko adds, dodging another massive piece of earth.

Toph earthbends another slab of earth as Zuko dodges it again. He lays a hand on her shoulder. "Get off me, get off me!" she shouts, squirming out of Zuko's grip. She bends a column of earth directly at Zuko's chest, which forcefully hits him and propels him away.

"Zuko!" Liling shouted in shock before turning back to Toph. "Toph, he didn't know it was you or else he would never have done it! Please, let us help you!"

Refusing to be reasoned with after having her feet scorched, Toph ignores Liling's plea and simply continues to beat her back. Flicking her fingers, she causes spikes to erupt out of the ground in an attempt to knock Liling over. Liling deftly maneuvers around the spikes at first but eventually is overcome by the sheer volume of earth Toph has disrupted and is forced back. She makes one more desperate leap towards Toph, knowing if her feet aren't healed soon they may permanently scar, but it heavily knocked to the side by a gigantic column of earth.

As Toph takes advantage of both her opponents being downed, Liling moans and reaches out towards her before falling over.

Zuko, nursing his wound as well, shouts desperately, "I didn't know it was you." He tries to move forward but holds his side and grimaces in pain. "Come back!" he shouts at her one last time.

Toph disappears into the darkness.

Zuko lies down and groans in frustration. He brings up his hands to his head in despair, bends his knees and rolls slightly on his sides. "Why am I so bad at being good?" he shouts into the darkness. Upon not receiving an answer, he throws his limbs out into a star shape and relaxes his figure, in too much pain to do anything else.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: The Return of Sparky Sparky Boom Man**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"They're never going to let us join now. Aang will never learn firebending and my Father is going to burn the world down." Zuko moaned despondently over breakfast. Ever since the incident with Toph during the previous night, he had been verbally beating himself up at every given opportunity.

Frowning into her bowl, Liling told him, "It wasn't your fault, Zuko. Like you said, you didn't know it was her. How were you supposed to know it was her?"

"But how could it not have been the Avatar or one of his friends? You even said yesterday that if they changed their minds they would find us. And it looks like you were right. But now they'll definitely never want me or you in their group." Zuko threw back, throwing every offering of optimism Liling threw at him right back at her.

Liling opened her mouth to respond when an incredibly loud crash rang out through the forest.

"What was that?" Zuko exclaimed, taking a firebending stance.

"It sounded like it came from the air temple," Liling replied thoughtfully.

Zuko's eyes suddenly widened at the thought. He had never officially gotten around to telling the bounty hunter to quit hunting the Avatar. Knowing what he had to do, he grabbed Liling's hand and shouted, "Let's go!"

* * *

Upon arrival at the cliff face that separated the area of the forest where they had camped with the temple, Zuko and Liling surveyed the scene. Sure enough, there was the assassin, or 'Combustion Man' as team Avatar had dubbed him, attacking the four kids. As he reared back in preparation to fire a powerful blast of energy at the Avatar, Zuko grabbed onto a vine and swung at him, knocking the man aside.

"Stop! I don't want you hunting the Avatar anymore." Zuko shouted at him, holding both his hands out, palms up, to further emphasize his point. "The mission is off. I'm ordering you to stop!"

Combustion Man shoves Zuko out of the way and fires another blast at the top of the fountain above the temple, destroying it. Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph take duck behind the ledge, covering their heads.

"If you keep attacking, I won't pay you!" Zuko threatened. Combustion Man, not liking the sound of that, stops Zuko in his tracks by grabbing him by the shirt. Zuko throws his fireball but misses and it hits the ground. "All right, I'll pay you double to stop!" he modifies, hoping to be released.

"He told you to stop!" Liling shouted suddenly, swinging down on her own vine. She rammed into Combustion Man's back, causing Zuko to tumble out of his arms. She then turns and executes a shot jumping sidekick just as Combustion Man fires another shot, knocking his aim off and knocking Zuko further away from his hired help as the fountain explodes, debris flying everywhere.

Combustion Man inhales deeply and fires a blast at Liling. She creates a bubble of bright blue fire around herself. The blast hits it and explodes outward, propelling Combustion Man into the cliff face.

Zuko lands on his hands and feet and quickly turns around, a look of shock on his face. Liling jettisons backward by the force of her own blast and disappears over the edge of the cliff.

Combustion Man turns his back on the two, ready to finish the job. Aang, sensing the danger he and his friends are in, jumps in mid-air, airbending a tornado and kicking it at Combustion Man. Combustion Man leaps over the tornado and fires another blast as he descends. Aang lands and quickly backflips away from the blast, landing next to Katara and Sokka. He jumps into the middle of the floor and sends beam after beam of energy, hitting a different pillar every time and causing them to explode. The group raises their arms to protect themselves from any flying debris.

Eyes widening in comprehension, Toph urgently shouts, "He's going to blast this whole place right off the cliff side."

"I can't step out to waterbend at him without getting blown up. And I can't get a good enough angle on him from down here." Katara points out frustratedly.

"I know how to get an angle on him," Sokka says after a moment. He gently pushes Katara aside and pulls out his boomerang. He presses his back against the pillar and looks around the pillar as smoke billows past. Sokka raises his boomerang towards the source of the blasts and measures their trajectory. "All right buddy, don't fail me now," he mutters before throwing the boomerang. It flies through the air and curves behind a stone pillar.

Combustion Man turns at the sound of the boomerang. There's a white flash as the boomerang hits his head and he's knocked down by it.

Sokka grins happily as he runs out from behind the pillar, followed by the rest of the group. He jumps and catches the boomerang triumphantly. "Yeah, boomerang!" He and Katara look up smiling but quickly frown. They see Combustion Man standing back up and putting a hand to his forehead. "Aw, boomerang. . ." Sokka says sadly, looking down at his boomerang in disappointment.

The group starts to run back towards the stone pillar they were hiding behind. Combustion Man sways and rears his head back for another blast when two fireballs collide into either side of him; one gold, one blue. He roars in pain as Liling and Zuko emerge from the smoke, having climbed back up from being knocked over the cliff.

"I've changed my mind. You're definitely _not_ getting paid." Zuko snarls as he sends another blast at Combustion Man. Zuko's blast, coupled with Liling's effectively knocks into the assassin. Small explosions begin to erupt from his head. He puts a hand on his forehead, grimacing in pain. The upside down pagoda he is standing on is destroyed by a massive explosion.

Both Liling and Zuko jump out of the way as the explosion blows a small crater into the stone's surface. Once the explosion settles, the pair walks towards the group facing them.

"I can't believe I'm saying this. . . but thanks." Aang says, smiling slightly.

"Hey, and what about me? I did the boomerang thing." Sokka whines, gesturing towards his boomerang.

"Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday. I've been through a lot in the past few years, and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right. All I want now is to play my part in ending this war. And I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world."

"And I want to help, too. I know my country has done a terrible misdeed towards the world and I know nothing I do will ever help make up for it, but I would like to try. So please, let me, let _us_ , help you stop the Fire Lord and teach you firebending.

Zuko looks to Toph, then. "I'm sorry for what I did to you." He bows to her before adding, "It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild. So as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending so I don't hurt people unintentionally."

"I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara. And after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I'd like you to teach me." he bows to them.

"Thank you. I'm so happy you've accepted us into your group." Zuko says gratefully, smiling warmly.

However, Aang held up a hand and said, "Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it's ok with them. Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?"

"Go ahead and let him join. It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet." Toph says, cracking a small grin.

"Sokka?" Aang asks, turning to look at him.

With a shrug, he replies, "Hey, all I want is to defeat The Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then I'm all for it."

Aang nods to Sokka and turns to Katara. "Katara?"

Katara looks at Zuko and frowns. Closing her eyes, she turns to Aang and says, "I'll go along with whatever you think is right."

"I won't let you down, I promise." Zuko eagerly promised.

Smiling a relieved smile, Liling added, "Nor will I. Thank you all for allowing us to join. You won't regret it."

The firebending cousins had finally done it. They had found the Avatar and were now working with him to save the world. Things were certainly looking up for them.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37: Lesson One**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Today was the day that Liling and Zuko would begin teaching Aang the art of firebending. Given that it was the last element Aang needed to master there normally wouldn't be much of a rush. However, given that Sozin's comet would be flying across the sky in a matter of weeks, the rush that normally wouldn't have existed was emphasized even more. If the Fire Lord was not stopped before the comet, the world would be burned to the ground.

"I know you're nervous, but remember, firebending in and of itself is not something to fear," Liling told him gently, fondly remembering Iroh and Lu Ten teaching her to firebend when she was little.

"Ok. Not something to fear." Aang mumbles to himself, feeling somewhat encouraged by Liling's words.

"But if you don't respect it, it'll chew you up and spit you out like an angry komodo rhino!" Zuko warned, crossing his arms, efficiently ruining Aang's feelings of confidence. "Now show us what you've got. Any amount of fire you can make."

Aang exhales, takes a nervous breath and attempts to firebend. He releases a small cloud of smoke which dissipates within a second. "Maybe I need a little more instruction. Perhaps a demonstration?"

"Good idea. You might want to take a couple steps back." Zuko gestures for Aang to move backward and Aang does so. He takes a breath, grunts, and proceeds to firebend. The result is a rather small, pathetic burst of flame. "What was _that_? That was the worst firebending I've ever seen!" Zuko cries, recoiling in horror at his failure.

"I thought it was, nice," Aang says with a polite shrug.

Zuko grunts again and firebends in rapid succession. All his flames are small like the first. He grunts in frustration and stares at his palms. "Why is this happening?" he shouts in fury, staring angrily at his hands.

"Maybe it's the altitude," Aang suggests hopefully.

"Yeah, could be," Zuko says softly before turning towards Liling. "Why don't you try? I wonder if you're able to firebend at all either."

Obligingly, Liling stands up and takes a bending stance. Inhaling deeply, she lets loose a rapid succession of blasts, each one the same brilliant shade of blue they had always been, and just as powerful. She stopped after a moment, wondering why she had been able to but Zuko had not. "Let me see if I can still lightning bend," she says, biting her lip as Zuko angrily crossed his arms. For his sake, she almost wished she would be unable to. However, after going through the proper movements, she was able to unleash a massive strike of lightning, sending it up into the sky. It was so powerful that it caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. "Maybe you should try again, Zuko. It might just be nerves since you've never taught anyone how to firebend before." Liling suggested thoughtfully, pulling out of her stance and turning towards her cousin and pupil.

Zuko grunts in frustration and unleashes another blast with no improvement. "Just breathe, and. . ." he unleashes another pitiful strike.

"That one kind of felt hot," Aang said, sitting up.

"Don't patronize me. You know what it's supposed to look like!" Zuko shouts, his fists clenching.

"Sorry, Sifu Hotman," Aang says with a jovial grin.

"And stop calling me that!" Zuko yells, causing Aang to cringe.

Sokka walks over to them, suddenly, and asks, "Hey, jerks. Mind if I watch you jerks do your jerk-bending?"

"Get out of here!" Zuko orders, slashing his arm at him.

With an amused grin on his face, Sokka says, "Ok, take it easy. I was just kidding around. Jerk bending. Hah. I still got it."

Zuko drops his head down and moans while Liling looks at him with a worried expression. After a moment, he looks at her out of the corner of his eye and says, "You can continue teaching the Avatar if you want. I'm just going to head back to my room."

Her eyes hardening, Liling snatches his arm and says, "I'm not teaching him without you. Sorry, Aang, but the lessons are going to have to wait until we figure out what's wrong with Zuko."

Whirling around, Zuko implores, "You have to, Liling! The Fire Lord is getting stronger every day and if Aang is going to defeat him, he is going to need to learn firebending and master it before Sozin's comet comes."

"Actually, the only thing Aang needs, and you two as well while we're at it, to do is join us for dinner," Sokka says, having come back from wherever he went off to in the past few minutes.

The three joined him before making their back into the heart of the temple. Zuko chose to stay in the back, keeping to the shadows, leaning on a column with his arms crossed, deep in thought. He turns his head back to the campfire where everyone else had settled for dinner. He walks toward them and sadly relates his news. "Listen everybody; I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff." Upon finishing, he drops his head in shame.

"Don't look at me. I didn't touch your stuff." Toph says, folding her arms, having misunderstood the statement.

"I'm talking about my firebending. It's gone." Zuko cries, flapping his arms to the side.

A collective silence follows the news, only to be interrupted by Katara, who laughs maniacally. Everyone turns to look at her. Wiping a tear from her eye, she says, "I'm sorry. I'm just laughing at the irony. You know. . . how it would have been nice for us if you lost your firebending a long time ago?"

"Well, it's not lost. It's just weaker for some reason." Zuko explains.

"Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are." Katara taunts, glaring at him over her bowl.

"Ouch." Toph relates with a smile, surprised Katara said such a snide remark.

"I bet it's because I changed sides," Zuko says suddenly.

"That's ridiculous." Katara splutters, continuing to drink the contents of her bowl.

"I have to agree with Katara on this one." Liling began slowly, holding her hands out in surrender as Zuko glared at her. "I mean, I switched sides as well yet I can bend just as well as I did before."

"I don't know. Maybe it isn't. Maybe its the source of your firebending. Liling, your's comes from your drive to do good, while Zuko, yours comes from rage, and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to." Aang said suddenly, seeing the logic in what Zuko was saying.

"So, all we need to do is make Zuko angry? Easy enough." Sokka says with a comical grin. He proceeds to nudge Zuko in the waist and head with the hilt of his sword several times.

"Ok, cut it out!" Zuko bellows. Sokka stops what he is doing and his sword falls on his head. "Look. . . even if you're right, I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way." he adds softly.

"You're gonna need to learn to draw your firebending from a different source. I recommend the original source." Toph suggests before continuing to eat.

"How's he supposed to do that? By jumping into a volcano?" Sokka inquires, laughing hysterically at his own joke.

Swallowing her food, Toph corrected him. "No. Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of firebending is."

"So is it jumping into a volcano?" Sokka asked, hooked on the idea of throwing Zuko into a volcano.

"I don't know. For earthbending, the original benders were badger moles. One day, when I was little, I ran away and hid in a cave. That's where I met them. They were blind, just like me, so we understood each other. I was able to learn earthbending, not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original earthbenders, it wasn't just about fighting. It was their way of interacting with the world." Toph explains, nostalgically reminiscing about her childhood.

"That's amazing, Toph. I learned from the monks, but the original airbenders were the Sky Bison." Aang explained, denoting to Appa before saying, "Maybe you can give me a lesson sometime buddy."

"Well, the original firebenders were dragons," Liling began informatively.

"Which doesn't help me. They're extinct." Zuko snapped.

"What do you mean? Roku had a dragon, and there were plenty of dragons when I was a kid." Aang said, confused.

"Well, they aren't around anymore, ok?" Zuko said defensively.

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry," says Aang, moving his arm around in an appeasing gesture.

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Zuko added, "But maybe there's another way. The first people to learn from the dragons were the ancient Sun Warriors."

"Sun Warriors? Well, I know they weren't around when I was a kid." Aang points out.

"No, they died off thousands of years ago, but their civilization wasn't too far from where we are now," Liling informed him.

"Maybe we can learn something by poking around their ruins," Zuko added, willing to do anything to get his bending back.

His eyes lighting up, Aang exclaims, "It's like the monks used to tell me. Sometimes, the shadows of the past can be felt by the present."

"So, what? Maybe you'll pick up some super old Sun Warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?" Sokka quipped, fluttering his fingers around mockingly.

Shrugging, Zuko replied, "More or less. Either I find a new way to firebend, or Liling will be the Avatar's only firebending teacher and you'll have accepted me for nothing."


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38: A Sticky Situation**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"We've been riding for hours. I don't know why, but I thought this thing would be a lot faster." Zuko noted in a bored voice, staring over the edge of the saddle to get a better view of the ocean below. He, Liling, and Aang had been riding Appa for over an hour now and they had yet to see the island on which the Sun Warriors resided. At the comment, Appa growled unappreciatively.

"Appa's right, Zuko," Aang said, rubbing Appa's head in a consoling manner. "In our group, typically we start out our missions with a more upbeat attitude."

"I can't believe this." Zuko sighs in a low voice, resting his head on the edge of the saddle.

"Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it." Aang confidently promised.

Nodding, Liling added, "You'll be in a much better mood once you regain your full firebending ability." She had been feeling guilty that she was still able to firebend at full capacity while Zuko was barely able to emit a puff of smoke but there was nothing she could do about it. And if Zuko was unable to regain his bending anytime soon, it was fortunate that she would still be able to teach Aang. But if the Avatar was to properly learn the last element, two teachers would be much more valuable than just one. Not to mention visiting the old masters would be useful not only to Zuko but to both Aang and Liling as well. While Aang still needed to fully confront his fear of the element, there was always room for improvement and Liling was no exception. A visit to the Sun Warriors definitely wouldn't hurt, especially if a massive battle against the Fire Nation was imminent.

Despite Zuko's comment about the flying bison's sluggishness, Appa pushes his tail down to gain some speed and soars through the cloud at a faster speed. Upon exiting the cloud, a bunch of ruins with a very impressive architecture similar to that of the Mayans becomes visible.

"Whoa!" Aang exclaims in awe, before manipulating Appa to descend with a tug on the reins.

Craning his neck to get a better look around Zuko whispered, "Even though these buildings are ancient, there's something eerily familiar about them."

"I can tell the Fire Sages' temples are somehow descended from these," Liling added, acknowledging Zuko's observation.

"Ok, we learned something about architecture. Hopefully, we'll learn something about firebending too. The past can be a great teacher." They had finally landed and were aimlessly walking around the not-so-ruined-looking ruins. Aang's foot nears a black wire and he trips it, causing him to yell in surprise. The ground in front of them drops to reveal a bed of black, deadly spikes. Aang exhales a huge gust of air from his mouth to prevent himself from falling into the trap and propels himself across it, landing rather shakingly to the other side. He struggles to control his balance, flailing his arms about. Aang pushes himself forward and regains control. "Zuko, Liling, I think the past is trying to kill me."

Kneeling down to inspect the wire, Zuko says, "I can't believe it. This booby trap must be centuries old, and it still works."

"And there's probably a lot more." Liling put in, gently plucking the wire in thought.

Looking around a little nervously, Aang suggested, "Maybe this means we shouldn't be here."

Zuko takes a step back and starts to run on a wall and lands in front of Aang. Dusting himself off, he inquires, "Where's that upbeat attitude you were talking about? Besides, people don't make traps unless they've got something worth protecting."

They set off again, this time making sure not to set off any booby traps. After a moment, the trio come across a large, ornate building of dazzling beauty.

"Look. This seems promising. Though I'm not sure what this tells us about the original source of firebending." Aang said, staring up in awe.

"They look pretty angry to me," Zuko observed, squinting his good eye at the carving.

"I thought the dragons were friends with the Sun Warriors," Aang asked.

"Well, they had a funny way of showing it." Liling sighed, hanging her head before turning away from the carving.

"Something happened to the dragons in the last 100 years. Something neither of you are telling me." Aang said, his face hardening at the thought, preparing himself for the worst.

"My great-grandfather Sozin happened." Zuko began, meeting Aang's eye with his own. He started the tradition of hunting dragons for glory. They were the ultimate firebenders. And if you could conquer one, your firebending talents would become legendary, and you'd earn the honorary title "Dragon"." Zuko stopped suddenly and looked to Liling, as though offering the end of the story for her to finish.

Deciding to do just that, Liling explained, "The last great dragon was, how should I put this, conquered long before I was born, by my Father, Iroh."

His eyes widening in surprise, Aang asked, "But I thought your Father was, I don't know, good?"

"He had a complicated past. Family tradition, I guess." Liling supplied with a wry grin. "Let's just move on."

They soon find themselves in front of a column with a red jewel embedded in the center. The column is positioned in front of a structure with two massive yellow doors. Aang walks towards them, drops his staff and attempts to open them with his bare hands to no avail. "It's locked up."

Zuko touches his head, looks behind and steps aside to reveal the red jewel from the column beaming light on his head. "Wait," He steps aside to reveal the beam of red light resting on a circle on the ground. "It's a celestial calendar. Just like the Fire Sages have in their temples. I bet that Sun Stone opens the door, but only when sunlight hits it at just the right angle, on the solstice."

"Monkey feathers!" Aang exclaimed suddenly. "The solstice again? We can't wait here that long."

"No, we can't," Zuko said, unsheathing his broadsword and laying it in the path of the red beam. "But we might be able to speed time up. Let's see if we can outsmart the Sun Stone." He attempts to adjust his sword. The beam of light is seen moving shakily across the doors and successfully hits the Sun Stone. It glows brightly.

"Nothing's happening." Aang remarks impatiently.

"Come on. . ." Zuko muttered, slowly adjusting the sword to get the angle right. The doors suddenly begin to shake open before rumbling to a stop.

Picking up his staff, Aang says, "You know, Zuko, I don't care what everyone else says about you, you're pretty smart."

At that, Zuko smiles slightly and Liling quietly laughs into her sleeve. Aang, oblivious to both of them, walks in and squints his eyes before gasping in surprise at the sight of one of the statues; a big and angry looking dragon.

"Relax. They're just statues." Zuko says in a semi-mocking voice.

Scratching his head and reading the description at the foot of a statue, Aang says, "It says this is something called 'The Dancing Dragon'." He lays his staff against the statue, takes a step-back and imitates the crane-posture of the statue. A plate sinks under his feet as he does so. Aang takes a step off the plate to observe it and the plate moves back into position. He looks around at the remaining statues. Grabbing Zuko by the elbow he says, "Zuko, get over here. I want you to dance with me."

Pulling his arm back in shock, Zuko gasps, "What?"

"Just do it." Aang orders with an eye-roll, grabbing and dragging Zuko away.

Groaning with disbelief, Zuko allows himself to be pulled away while Liling rests against the wall, making sure to keep out of the way of the center of the room where the statues are, a delighted smile blossoming on the edge of her lips at the sight of Zuko, stuffy and studious, being forced by the Avatar to dance.

"Let's follow the steps of the statues," Aang suggests, already imitating the pose of the first statue. Both of them step on the first plate and move on to the next. "Don't you see?" inquires Aang. "These aren't dance moves. These statues are giving us a lesson." The two of them move in synchronization as he adds, "I think this is some kind of Sun Warrior firebending form."

Zuko gets into punching position and then moves into another position with his arms spread in a low arc above his shoulders. "This better teach us some really good firebending." he bitterly mumbles, pulling out of the arc.

"At least you're improving your two left feet." Liling offered helpfully, receiving a stony glare from her cousin as a result.

Aang bends his torso to the right with his fists outstretched and Zuko bends to the left, outstretching his fists as well, bumping them against Aang's. A sound echoes in the room and a hole appears in the center of the room. All three benders turn to look at it. A pedestal with a golden egg-like object ascends from the hole and glints in the light.

"Hurray!" Aang shouts, raising his arms in victory.

"What exactly is that?" Liling inquires, stepping between the two boys and stretching her arms out, preventing either of them from running forward and touching it.

"It's some kind of mystical gemstone," Zuko observes, weaving around Liling's arm to run towards the pedestal.

"Well, don't touch it!" Aang cautions, raising his arms as a warning as Zuko stops in his tracks.

"Why not?" he demands, crossing his arms and expecting a terrific reason.

"Remember what happened out there with those spikes?" Aang reminded him. "I'm just very suspicious of giant, glowing gems sitting on pedestals."

Zuko ignores him and removes the gemstone from the pedestal. Liling's eye twitches, uncomprehending the stupidity of Zuko's current action.

"It feels almost alive." He tries to put back the gemstone and yells in surprise as a jet of green goo spurts out from the pedestal and pushes him towards the grating in the ceiling, sticking him there.

"Oh, no, it's another trap!" Aang sarcastically shouts as the door closes.

More green goo starts to flow from the pedestal and Liling backs away cautiously, a hand resting on Aang's shoulder as she does so, pulling him back with her.

Above them, Zuko struggles to break free from the grating but he and the gemstone are held tight by the goo. "Ugh, I can't pull free. It's like some kind of glue," he calls down, continuing to struggle.

Aang jumps across the goo to grab his staff on the other side of the room. He jumps up on the statue's head and airbends a strong gust of wind toward Zuko in an attempt to free him. The force of the wind only pushes moves Zuko from his back to his front but he is still stuck. The goo is rapidly rising and Aang tries to pull his staff out of the goo to no avail. He jumps up toward the grating as the goo rapidly engulfs the room.

"I can't move. Zuko, do something!" Aang demands, struggling against the bars.

Arching an eyebrow, Zuko shouts, "Me? I can't move either. Liling, you have to get us down!"

"You mean you don't want to admire the view?" Liling quipped before pulling her arm back, a small flame forming in her palm. Once as far back as possible, she shoots the ball of flame towards the goo imprisoning Zuko and Aang, hoping the goo would succumb to the heat and melt upon contact, especially since her fire burned hotter than most. Unfortunately, the flame went out as soon as it made contact with the goo. "Terrific," Liling mumbled as the goo continued to rise, encompassing her and sticking her up on the grate with the two boys.

After a while, the guck finally stopped pressing against them. "It stopped," Aang observed, relaxing his squirming for a moment.

"You had to pick up the glowing egg, didn't you?" Liling mumbled, turning her head towards Zuko to better glare at him.

"At least I made something happen. If it were up to you two, we'd never have made it past the courtyard." Zuko shot back, frowning at him.

After a brief moment of silence, Aang started to shout. " _Help!_ "

"Who are you yelling to? Nobody's lived here for centuries." Liling told him anxiously.

"Well, what do you think we should do?" Aang asked.

"Think about our place in the Universe?" Zuko supplied, receiving frowns from his two companions.

They were about to abandon hope completely when a voice shouted, "Who is down there?"


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39: Ran and Shaw**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

The trio had been relieved of the gooey prison only to find themselves quickly surrounded by concentric semi-circles of men and women wearing gear identical to the Chief's who had saved them; four of the warriors can be seen holding a small flame in their hands. Aang, Zuko, and Liling stare at them; clearly outnumbered and unable to do anything other than stand rooted to the spot.

"For trying to take our Sun Stone, you must be severely punished!" the Chief shouted down at them.

"We didn't come here to take your Sun Stone. We came here to find the ancient origin of all firebending." Zuko informed them, wiping a stray spot of goo off his chin.

"Yeah, right." the man standing beside the Chief scoffs. "They are obviously thieves, here to steal Sun Warrior treasures."

"Please, I don't normally play this card, but. . . I'm the Avatar." Aang says, staring imploring at them. Giving a weak smile, he adds, "Just hear us out."

Clearing his throat, Zuko introduced himself. "My name is Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Or at least, I used to be. I know my people have distorted the ways of firebending, to be fueled by anger and rage. But now I want to learn the true way, the original way. When we came here, I never imagined the Sun Warrior civilization was secretly alive. I am truly humbled to be in your presence. Please, teach us." He concludes by bowing his head in respect.

"My name is Liling, princess of the Fire Nation, and I have accompanied my cousin and the Avatar in order to learn the correct, ancient ways of firebending so that when we cleanse the world of the devastation that our nation has caused, I may be privileged with the task of reshaping the way firebenders behave. Please, allow us to observe and learn from you the way firebending used to be." She then bows her head in respect as well.

After mulling over the pleas of the trio, the Chief reluctantly says, "If you wish to learn the ways of the Sun, you must learn them from the masters Ran and Shaw."

"Ran and Shaw? There are two of them?" Aang inquires, eager to learn.

Avoiding his question, the Chief instead instructs, "When you present yourselves to them, they will examine you. They'll read your hearts, your souls, and your ancestry. If they deem you worthy, they'll teach you. If they don't, you'll be destroyed on the spot."

As the Chief steps back, Aang and Zuko exchange glances, Zuko looking particularly nervous. If his ancestry was what was going to determine whether he be taught or destroyed, then he was royally screwed. His great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all sadistic psychopaths, his sister was a power-hungry maniac who at times seemed scarier than even Fire Lord Ozai, and even his uncle Iroh had not always walked the on the light side; being general of the Fire Nation military for several decades during the war and personally attempting to destroy the Earth Kingdom stronghold of Ba Sing Se.

"If you're going to see the masters, you must bring them a piece of the eternal flame. This fire is the very first one. It was given to Man by the dragons. We have kept it going for thousands of years." the Chief says, allowing Zuko and Aang to claim a piece of the flame. Since Liling didn't necessarily need to relearn firebending, given that hers was still intact, she was allowed to stand on the sidelines and simply observe.

"I don't believe it," Zuko whispered in awe, bewildered that the flame had lasted as long as it had.

Dismissing the flattery, the Chief continued giving instructions. "You will each take a piece of it to the masters, to show your commitment to the sacred art of firebending."

"Um, Mister Sun Chief, sir?" Aang began in a wavery tone that signaled how unsure he felt about the whole ordeal. "Yeah. . . I'm not a firebender yet. Couldn't my friend here carry my fire for me?"

"No." the Chief replied, both sternly and simply. "This ritual illustrates the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, and you might lose control."

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little nervous." He proceeds to gather it into his hands. The fire grows slightly and he looks relieved and in awe. "It's like a little heartbeat."

"Fire is life, not just destruction." the Chief informs them, reassuring Aang slightly. "You will take your flames up there. The cave of the masters is beneath that rock."

Both Zuko and Aang stare at the steep grassy incline before beginning the ascent, Zuko leading the way with a dedicated, steely glint in his eyes. It didn't take long for him to reach the top of the incline. Turning to look for Aang, he spots him lagging quite a distance behind.

"Hurry up." Zuko barks impatiently. He was so close to regaining his ability to firebend. There was no way he would allow himself to be slowed down now, not even by the Avatar.

"I can't. If I walk too fast, my flame will go out." Aang said, cupping the flame protectively to his chest.

Shaking his head, Zuko contradicted Aang's previous statement by informing him, "Your flame's gonna go out because it's too small. You're too timid. Give it more juice."

Looking worriedly at Zuko, Aang inquires, "But what if I can't control it?"

"You can do it. I know you can. You're a talented kid." Zuko says softly, offering a reassuring smile.

With new found confidence, Zuko and Aang soon arrive at their destination. The Warriors are already there and are poised in an alternating standing and sitting position, Liling standing off to the side, fingers crossed that the two succeed.

Walking towards them, the Chief says, "Facing the judgment of the firebending masters will be very dangerous for you." He looks pointedly at Zuko, then, and adds, "Your ancestors are directly responsible for the dragons' disappearances. The masters might not be so happy to see you." Zuko hangs his head in shame at the comment.

"But once they find out I'm the Avatar. . ." Aang supplied, trying to put an optimistic twist on the sudden bad news.

Quick to contradict this, the Chief cut in with, "Have you forgotten that you vanished, allowing the Fire Nation to wreak havoc on the world? The decline of the dragons is your burden too." Aang joins Zuko in the head drop of shame as he hears this, not enjoying being reminded of how he abandoned the world for the past century.

The Chief drives his staff into the ground and Sun warriors get into a "ready" position at either side of the staff. The Chief grabs a section from each flame and places it on the Sun Warriors' palms. They move away and the Chief removes his staff.

"We could turn back now. We've already learned more about fire than we hoped." Aang whispers, showing Zuko that he can handle his fire and gives him a weak smile.

His jaw hardening, Zuko replied, "No, we're seeing this through to the end. We're gonna meet these masters and find out what's so great about them."

"What if they judge us and attack us?" Aang points out anxiously.

"Well, we're the Fire Prince and the Avatar. I think we can take these guys in a fight, whoever they are." Zuko whispered confidently, unsheathing his broadswords. He then turns to the Chief and shouts, "Bring 'em out!"

"Those who wish to meet the masters Ran and Shaw will now present their fire." the Chief instructs up at them.

Aang and Zuko turn towards the caves and bow down with their hands extended in front of them.

Nodding upon seeing them do so, the Chief instructs, "Sound the call."

A warrior takes a deep breath and blows into a wind instrument. The loud sound it produces sends a flock of birds scattering in the background.

The cave Aang is facing rumbles and vibrates as the rocks dislodge. He trembles in fear. Aang accidentally places his hand down, extinguishing his flame and turns towards Zuko. "What's happening?" he asks. He looks at Zuko's cave which remains undisturbed. Zuko turns and gives Aang a puzzled look. Aang quickly returns back to his "flame-giving" position. He realized that his flame is gone and gasps, turning back towards Zuko again. "Zuko, my fire went out." Aang frantically points out.

"What do you want me to do?" Zuko whispers back, not turning to look at him.

"Give me some of yours," Aang suggests, reaching for Zuko's fire.

Zuko gently pushes him back, saying, "No, just make your own."

"I can't," Aang whines, continuing to squirm and struggle towards Zuko's flame.

"Get some from one of those warriors. Hurry. Stop cheating off me!" Zuko instructs, attempting to throw Aang off of him.

Irritated, Aang snaps, "Quit being stingy!" Aang continues to reach for Zuko's flame but is unable to do so due to the differences between their heights. Zuko raises his arms higher so the flame remains out of Aang's reach and Aang tries to grab it by sticking close to Zuko's back and flailing his arms. He uses two hands to grab the flame from under Zuko's armpits and they struggle briefly before Zuko drops his hand, extinguishing the flame. They look at each other, unsure, then they turn their heads towards the other cave, the emptiness suddenly glowing from the inside.

A pair of yellow eyes glow in the dark and suddenly, a red dragon roars and shoots out of the cave. It circles around the bridge and the duo. Overwhelmed by the powerful winds and pressure, the pair stagger slightly. A blue dragon flies out of the other cave and joins its partner in circling around each other, the bridge and boys.

"These are the masters," Zuko whispers in awe.

"You still think we can take 'em?" Aang whispers sarcastically.

"Shh. I never said that." Zuko snapped, whipping his head around to keep up with the dragons' flight.

"Zuko, I think we're supposed to do The Dragon Dance with them," Aang whispers suddenly.

Finally pulling his eyes away from the dragons, Zuko incredulously asks, "What? What about this situation that you think they want us to dance?"

"Well, I think they want us to do something. Let's just try it." Aang points out, given that the two have no other alternative method to try out.

"Fine." Zuko sighs, resigned, having no better idea himself.

They get into the first position of The Dragon Dance and proceed to the next. Aang spreads his arms out and the blue dragon behind him is following the shape of his arms. Aang turns his arms to his side and the dragon turns as well, mirroring him. Zuko thrusts his hand up and the red dragon behind him angles upwards as well. Zuko dips and the dragon dives down as well. He and Aang get into their final pose, leaning their torsos' towards each other and bumping fists. At this, the dragons have stopped and are flapping their wings on either side of the bridge, staring down at the two.

"Judgment time." the Chief calls out, his voice echoing throughout the quiet valley.

The blue dragon snarls at Zuko, who gawks at it, not able to move. Aang is visibly trembling. After a moment, the two dragons settle into another position with their legs being anchored at the bottom of the bridge and their arms supporting their weight at the top. The red dragon begins to breathe fire out of its mouth, the blue dragon doing the same. Zuko and Aang yell in fear as they are engulfed by the rapidly rising multi-colored flame. Liling herself lets out a shriek in terror at the sight of the two being quickly overcome by the fiery blaze. The flames slowly dissipate and the dragons curl their bodies, spring up and circle each other one final time before they retreat to their caves. The two boys still remain on the bridge.

After descending the slope, the two walked over to where the Chief and Liling stood. "Their fire was beautiful. I saw so many colors, colors I've never imagined."

"Like firebending harmony," Aang added.

Nodding, the Chief explained, "Yes. They judged you, and gave you visions of the meaning of firebending."

"I can't believe there are still living dragons. My Uncle Iroh said he faced the last dragon and killed it." Zuko said, looking at Liling suddenly. "Did you know he hadn't actually killed the last dragon?"

Smiling sheepishly, she replied, "Iroh was the last person from the Fire Nation to face the two dragons. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret to him as well and he subsequently passed it on to me and my brother. He lied to protect them, so no one else would hunt them. I'm sorry I didn't tell either of you earlier, but Iroh swore me to secrecy because he wanted to ensure no one else would ever dare attack a dragon again."

"All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. Since I hurt Katara, I've been too afraid and hesitant. But now I know what it really is. . . it's energy and life." Aang said, a newfound respect for firebending having been implanted in him.

"Yeah. It's like the Sun, but inside of you. Do you guys realize this?" Zuko asks, extending his arms outward.

"Well, our civilization is called the Sun Warriors. . . so yeah." the Chief sarcastically quipped.

"That's why my firebending was so weak before. Because for so many years, hunting you was my drive. . . it was my purpose. So when I joined you, I lost sight of my inner fire. But now, I have a new drive. I have to help you defeat my father and restore balance to the world." Zuko firebends twice with a rather large sized flame. Aang follows his example and bends. His flame is large as well.

"Now that you have learned the secrets, and you know about our tribe's existence, we have no choice but to imprison you here forever." the trio exchanged worried looks before the Chief breaks into a smile and says, "Just kidding. But seriously, don't tell anyone!"

* * *

"With this technique, the dragons showed us, Zuko, Liling, and I would be unstoppable," Aang said, excitedly demonstrating some of the moves

"Yeah, that's a great dance you learned there." Sokka quipped before laughing at his own joke.

"It's not a dance. It's a firebending form." Zuko shouts defensively.

"We'll just tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord then." Sokka continued, smirking at the expression on Zuko's face.

Frustrated, Zuko shouts, "It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!"

"Oh yeah? What's your little form called?" Katara asks suddenly, a sly smile blossoming on her lips.

Embarrassed, Zuko mumbles, "The Dancing Dragon."

At that, everyone laughed. It was the first time in a long while they had been able to do so. But with Aang now being able to master the last element, things were only looking up for the lot of them. Hopefully, things would continue to do so.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40: The Boiling Rock**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"No one can make tea like Iroh, but hopefully, I learned a thing or two." Liling modestly concluded as she removed the tea kettle from the small fire she had created and began pouring it into the cups that Zuko passed towards her.

"It feels weird traveling without him after spending the past three years with him," Zuko said softly, passing a cup of tea to Sokka. However, he quickly perked back up and inquired, "Would you like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?"

"Sure," Katara replied, graciously accepting her cup of tea.

Nodding in agreement, Aang added, "I like jokes."

"Bring it." Toph cried as Zuko stands up, passing out tea to everyone else.

"Okay. Well, I can't remember how it starts but the punchline is, 'Leaf me alone, I'm bushed'." When this was met with silence and deadpanned expressions rather than laughter, Zuko simply shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it's funnier when Uncle tells it."

"Right. Maybe that's because he remembers the whole thing." Liling replied with a smirk before taking a satisfied sip of her tea.

"Because you remember the entire joke?" Zuko challenged, continuing to pass out tea.

Setting her cup down, Liling cleared her throat. "What did the tea shop manager say to the annoying customer? Leaf me alone, I'm bushed!"

Zuko laughs and helps himself to a cup, saying, "Okay, okay, you did remember the entire thing."

"It's nice to get a chance to relax a little. It hardly ever happens." Toph said, changing the subject, letting out a relaxed sigh, and kicking her feet up.

"You said it." Liling cried, holding her cup up in a mock toast before taking another sip, savoring the taste. Suddenly, Sokka put a hand on her shoulder, his other resting on Zuko's.

"Hey, can I talk to you two for a second?" he asked, lacking his usual sarcastic exterior. Without waiting for an answer, he gets up and walks away. Zuko and Liling exchange a glance before following him.

"So what's up?" Zuko inquired as he and Liling reached the edge of the temple where Sokka was standing.

"If someone was captured by the Fire Nation, where would they be taken?" he asks bluntly, resulting in surprised looks from both firebenders.

"What do you mean? Who was captured?" Liling asked, concern clouding her complexion.

Swallowing back the tears of reliving the painful memory, he informed her, "When the invasion plan failed, some of our troops were taken. I just want to know where they might be."

"I can't tell you," Zuko said sternly, clenching his fist in resignation.

"What? Why not?" Sokka demanded, stepping closer to Zuko, desperate for information.

Placing a consoling hand on Sokka's shoulder, Zuko informed him," Trust me. Knowing would just make you feel worse."

"It's my Dad. He was captured too. I need to know what I put him through." Sokka begged him. Seeing that it had no effect on Zuko, he turned to Liling and added, "Please tell me. I kneed to know."

Shutting her eyes, Liling mumbled, "It's not good Sokka."

"Please." he implored, desperate to know.

"My guess is," Liling opened her eyes then to stare directly at Sokka, "They were taken to the Boiling Rock."

"What's that?" Sokka inquired, frowning slightly.

"The highest security prison in the Fire Nation. It's on an island in the middle of a boiling lake. It's inescapable." Zuko told him, hoping to have deterred any ideas Sokka hatching an escape plan.

"So where is this place?" Sokka asked, making both Zuko and Liling frown internally.

"Why do you need to know? What are you planning?" Liling asked with a worried frown.

"Nothing. Boy, you guys are so paranoid." Sokka quickly supplied, waving his arm dismissively.

Warily, Zuko informed him, "It's in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation. You guys actually flew right past it on your way here."

"Thanks, you guys," Sokka says with a yawn before wrapping a quick arm around Zuko and Liling's shoulders. "Just knowing makes me feel better."

"Yeah, I'm sure it does," Zuko whispered as Sokka walks away. He and Liling exchange a look before nodding to each other. Sokka was clearly planning to rescue his dad and when he tried, they would be going with him.

* * *

Both Liling and Zuko had decided to sleep in Appa's saddle that night. They could condone his trip to the Boiling Rock, but they could not condone him going alone. He lacked the knowledge they possessed about the inner workings of the Boiling Rock, as well as Fire Nation prisons in general. There were rules and procedures that a peasant from the Southern Water Tribe would not be familiar with, whether he had spent the last year traveling with the Avatar or not.

With their eyes growing heavy, they had begun to give up on the idea of Sokka actually stowing away when a head bobbed into view. The telltale ponytail and boomerang quickly gave him away. As Sokka turned around to take off, Liling whispered, "Not up to anything, huh?"

Sokka yelped in shock and loses his grip as he falls down on the hard stone floor with a loud thud and a groan. "Fine, you caught me. I'm gonna rescue my Dad. You happy now?"

"I'm never happy." Zuko shot back, crossing his arms and refusing to move.

"Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea. It was my decision to stay when things were going wrong. It's my mistake and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor. You can't stop me Zuko." Sokka said, collecting his belongings from the ground where they had scattered seconds ago.

"You need to regain your honor?" Zuko inquired, perking up. Whether he knew it or not, Sokka had just said the magic words to get Zuko onboard with his plan. "Believe me, I get it. I'm going with you."

"As am I," Liling added, leaning back against the saddle. "It's a dangerous task and you're going to need some insider knowledge to succeed without getting caught."

Climbing into the saddle, Sokka shook his head. "No. I have to do this alone."

Crossing his arms, Zuko inquired wryly, "How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison daycares."

Sokka touches the saddle before he sighs and looks at Zuko, wordlessly asking for his suggestion.

"We'll take the war balloon."


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41: Stranded**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Pretty clouds." Sokka remarks absentmindedly as Liling firebends into the balloon's fuel tank while Zuko checks to make sure they're on the right course.

"Yeah, fluffy." Liling agrees, sending another blast of blue flames into the tank.

The comment is followed by silence, the only sound being emitted by Liling as she periodically shoots fire into the tank. A whistle suddenly pierces the silence, having been blown by Sokka.

"What?" Zuko asked, looking towards him.

Placing a hand on his chest, Sokka replied, "What? Oh, I didn't say anything. You know, a friend of mine actually designed these war balloons."

"No kidding," Zuko mumbled with an eye roll.

"Yep. A balloon. But, you know, for War." Sokka added, pretending to have not heard Zuko's latest sardonic remark.

Turning away, Zuko mournfully noted, "There's one thing my Dad's good at, it's war."

Nonchalantly, Sokka agrees, "Yeah, it seems to run in the family."

"Hey, hold on. Not everyone in my family is like that." Zuko snapped.

Sokka raised his arms in surrender. "I know, I know, you two have changed."

"I meant my Uncle. He was more of a Father to me. And I really let him down. I've been trying to make up for what I did but. . . I'm afraid nothing ever will." Zuko remarked softly, refusing to make eye contact with Liling despite the fact that he could feel her gaze boroughing into the back of his head.

"Despite what happened in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se, Iroh never stopped caring you for Zuko, and neither have I for that matter. You're like a son to him, especially after we lost my brother. . ." Liling trailed off then, unable to finish because she soon choked on her words. Even though her brother had died over three years ago, it was still incredibly painful for her to relive the memory. With Zuko around, it wasn't as bad because she thought of him more as a brother than a cousin, which filled the void slightly, but there were moments when it was not enough.

After another moment of silence, Sokka cleared his throat. "I think your Uncle would be proud of you. Leaving your home to come help us, that had to of been hard on both of you."

Zuko's eyes hardened with a steely resolve. "It wasn't that hard."

"It really wasn't," Liling added in affirmation.

"Really? You didn't leave behind anyone you cared about?" Sokka asked, slightly incredulous.

"Well, I did have a girlfriend. Mai." Zuko corrected his tone lightening at the mention of her.

Walking closer to Zuko with a surprised look on his face, Sokka asks, "That gloomy girl who sighs a lot?"

Grinning goofily, Zuko sighed, "Yeah." His face turning serious, then, he added, "Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I'm a traitor. I couldn't drag her into it."

Leaning against the basket, Sokka replied, "My first girlfriend turned into the Moon."

"That's rough buddy," Zuko says emphatically, unsure of what else to say when being relayed something as serious as that.

"What about you, Liling? Didn't you leave anyone you cared about behind?" Sokka asked her after a moment.

Sending one more fireball into the fuel tank, Liling replied thoughtfully, "Apart from Iroh and Zuko, I was sad to leave Ty Lee and Mai. They've been my best friends since we were little." She sent another blast into the tank before adding, "They probably would have gone with Zuko and I had we asked but like he said, we couldn't bring them into this."

They rode in silence for the rest of the flight, everyone too busy with their own thoughts to verbally converse. Suddenly, Zuko peered over the edge of the basket and whispered reverently, "There it is."

Sokka awakens instantly. He peers over the rim as well, gazing icily at the volcano and the small prison nested in the middle of the lake.

"There's plenty of steam to keep us covered. As long as we're quiet we should be able to navigate through it without being caught." Liling gauged before bending another fireball into the fuel tank as they quickly descend.

"Uh, Liling? I don't want to backseat bender but can you slow down a little? We're practically plummeting to the ground." Sokka observed, his grip on the rim of the basket tightening with each passing second.

"It's not like I'm doing it on purpose!" Liling shouted back at him. "The balloon's not working anymore! We're going down!"

Sokka appears frantic as he rushes to the other side of the basket where both Liling and Zuko are frantically firebending into the vent instead.

"The air outside is just as hot as the air inside so we can't fly," Sokka observed aloud as the basket began to slant, causing everyone to lose their balance and focus all of their energy on gripping the basket.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Zuko snapped, their feet being lifted off the basket floor.

"I don't know. Crash landing?" Sokka suggests unhelpfully, his arms constricting tightly around the fuel tank.

The balloon skips over the lake before crashing into the treacherously rocky shore of the island, throwing the three occupants and their belongs out. The trio gets up and slowly turn towards the carnage.

"How are we gonna get off the island if the balloon won't work?" Zuko inquired, staring despondently at the debris.

"We'll figure something out. I suspected it might be a one-way ticket." Sokka replied, pensively stroking his chin.

Eyes growing wide with disbelief, Liling inquired, "You knew this would happen and you wanted to come anyway? Why?"

"My Dad might be here. I had to come and see." Sokka said simply.

"Uncle always said I never thought things through, but this, ugh, this is just crazy," Zuko shouted in a half-crazed voice, gripping his temples furiously.

"Hey! I never wanted either of you to come along in the first place. And for the record, I always think things through. But my plans haven't exactly worked, so this time I'm playing it by ear. So there." Sokka remarked pointedly. He pushes the basket but yelps as his hand automatically withdraws since the basket scorches him. He then proceeds to kick it into the water; the broken balloon slowly sinks beneath the scorching depths.

"What are you doing?" Zuko half shouted as Sokka boiled their only possible means of escape.

"It doesn't work anyway. And we don't want anyone to find it." Sokka reminded him.

Crossing his arms, Zuko mumbled,"I hope you know what you're doing."

"There's no turning back now." Liling sighed, clasping her hands together in front of her. It would take a miracle to find Sokka's dad and safely escape but they had no other option but to try. They were now stranded outside a prison, their only hope for escape being boiled and broken apart as they spoke, and were considered traitors and wanted criminals of the nation who owned the island on which they were currently standing.

Given that they were standing in open view of the prison, the trio quickly set off in search of a hiding place and disguises, knowing that in order to escape, they would need both.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42: Silver Sandwich**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"I hope these disguises work." Zuko muttered bitterly as he, Liling, and Sokka emerged from a storage closet, having changed into three Fire Nation guard uniforms they found stashed away.

"We just need to lay low and find my Dad as soon as possible," Sokka advised, adjusting his helmet.

"As long as we don't draw attention to ourselves we should be fine. We'll only worry about being caught when we're caught." Liling promised through gritted teeth, checking to make sure the next corridor was clear.

The corridor is suddenly filled with running guards. The trio grin nervously, hoping that they won't be noticed.

The plan was ineffective as one of the guards stops directly in front of them and barks, "Guards! There's a scuffle in the yard, come on."

Deciding they have no other option, the trio takes up the tail of the group, jogging along with everyone else in the rear. They soon emerge onto the courtyard where a prisoner and a guard are facing off against each other.

The prisoner can be heard shouting furiously, "I didn't do anything. I'm going back to my cell." He begins to walk away.

The guard, obviously displeased by the action, firebends a whip and lashes it near the prisoner's leg. "Stop right there Chit Sang," he orders, preparing to snap the whip again.

Zuko moves to walk forward, trying to interfere. Liling places a steady hand on his shoulder, stilling him, as Sokka whispers, "We can't blow our cover."

"I've had it with your unruly behavior." the guard continues in a mocking tone.

"What did I do?" the prisoner whines, confused and agitated.

"He wants to know what he did." the guard taunts, striding over to where Zuko, Liling, and Sokka stand. "Isn't that cute?" Upon none of the three laughing at his joke, the guard senses something suspicious and raises his visor to inspect them.

"Uh, yeah, very cute sir." Sokka quickly supplies.

"Super cute," Liling affirms.

"The cutest," Zuko adds, sweating nervously.

The guard smiles satisfactorily at their answers and walks back towards Chit Sang. "You didn't bow down when I walked by Chit Sang," he explained as though it were obvious.

"What? That's not a prison rule." the prisoner, Chit Sang, shouts in outrage.

Not backing down, the guard simply commands, "Do it."

"Make me." Chit Sang defiantly declares, refusing to do so.

The guard smirks and walks away from Chit Sang. He then proceeds to firebend another whip. Chit Sang turns around and firebends at the whip, knocking it away from him and directing it back to the guard. The guard who kicks the flame aside, a pleased smirk residing on his face. Shaking his head, he sighs, "Tsk, tsk. Firebending is prohibited. You're going in the Cooler. You! Help me take him in." he adds, pointing at Sokka.

"Meet back here in an hour," Sokka whispers to Liling and Zuko before walking over the guard who had called him over.

After Sokka had dispersed with the guard, Zuko and Liling exchanged a quick glance before following the rest of the guards in the way they came out.

The pair finds themselves in a lounge where three guards begin to eat their lunch. One of them spots Zuko and Liling and waves them over. "Hey, new recruits. I know it's the rule to have your helmet on at all times but this is the lounge. Relax."

"But what if there's an incident? If I'm not prepared someone could strike me on the head." Zuko inquires, grabbing a tray of food before joining them.

"Give it a week, he'll loosen up." one of the guards scoffs.

Setting her own tray down, Liling asked, "Can the new guy ask you veterans a few questions about the prison?"

"No, you can't date the male guards." one of the guards sarcastically remarks.

"Trust me, you don't want to." one of the female guards remarks, subsequently getting hit in the face by a bowl of rice by a male guard.

"No, that's not it. The Boiling Rock, it holds the Fire Nation's most dangerous criminals right? So what about war prisoners?" Liling asked, ignoring the comical spectacle before her. Had she not been considered a traitor and still retained her royal status, she would have found it funny. In her current situation, she simply wanted to lay low and talk as little as possible with the other guards lest one of them recognize her.

* * *

After the less than helpful conversation with the three guards in the lounge, Zuko and Liling went back to the courtyard to wait for Sokka to return. Keeping their heads low to avoid drawing attention to themselves, they peeked out of the corner of their eyes as another guard joined them.

"Hey there, fellow guard. How goes it?" Zuko says, waving his hand slightly in greeting.

Raising his visor to get a better look at him, Sokka inquires, "Zuko?"

Raising a finger to her lips, Liling shushed him. "Shh. Listen, we asked around the lounge. There are no Water Tribe prisoners. I'm afraid your Father's not here."

"What? Are you sure? Did you double check?" Sokka asked in disbelief, panic sinking into his tone.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Zuko promised earnestly, pleased himself that Sokka's dad was not at the Boiling Rock. Even though they had come all the way for nothing, the Boiling Rock was famous for being one of the worst Fire Nation prisons. He and Liling were both relieved that no one they knew, or their friends knew, was being imprisoned there.

"No," Sokka whispers, holding his head in despair as he walks towards a wall. "No!" He ferociously bangs his fist against the wall in frustration.

"I'm really sorry Sokka," Liling whispered consoling, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Not wanting to be consoled, Sokka mutters, "So we came all this way for nothing. I failed. Again."

"Err, what would Uncle say?" Zuko mumbled, looking up at the sky. "Sometimes clouds have two sides, a dark, and light. And a silver lining in between. It's like a silver sandwich. So. . . when life seems hard. . . take a bite out of the silver sandwich."

By the time Zuko had finished, Sokka had rushed over to join him on the balcony, an optimistic grin plastered on his face. "Maybe we haven't failed after all."

"That's the spirit. I can't believe that worked. I didn't even know what I was saying." Zuko remarked, pleasantly surprised, crossing his arms in victory.

"That was painfully obvious." Liling pointed out with a grin.

"No, what you said made no sense at all. But look," Sokka points towards one of the prisoners in the courtyard, "it's Suki!"


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43: Two for the Price of One**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC

Liling and Zuko follow Sokka's arm to see Suki in the courtyard. "Prisoners!" a guard shouted suddenly, "Back in your cells!"

Sokka's face fell before he turned to Zuko and Liling, saying, "Cover for me," before following after Suki. With an eye roll, the two followed him at a close distance until he reached Suki's cell, following her inside. Liling quickly shut the door behind Sokka as she and Zuko stood watch on either side.

They hadn't been standing watch for long when another guard appears, walking down the hallway towards them. Zuko lightly knocks on the door of Suki's cell to warn them of the guard's presence. The guard pauses before walking over to the cell.

"'Scuse me, I need to get into that cell," she says, moving to push the firebending cousins aside.

"No, you can't go in there!" Liling exclaims, unable to think of anything better to say.

The guard purses her lips as Zuko adds, "That's right! You can't go in there because. . . The lights are out and the prisoner could sneak up on you."

"Step aside, fool." the guard barks, attempting to push past the two, but Zuko grabs her arm and throws her against the wall. "Hey! Hey! What are you doing?" The guard maneuvers her way around and throws Zuko against the cell door. Liling rushes over to Zuko and attempts to help him up but it accidentally knocked over as Zuko tried to balance all of his weight on her arm. As Liling attempts to stand up, the guard tries to elbow Zuko's chin as Sokka exits the cell. "Guard, help! I think he's an imposter! Arrest him!" she cries.

Sokka slowly walks forward and grabs Zuko's arm and throws him against the floor. "You're under arrest!" Sokka shouts at Zuko. He helps him to his feet and whispers, "Don't worry, I'll figure something out." Sokka and Liling lead Zuko away while the guard massages her sore shoulder.

* * *

With Zuko being arrested, it was even harder to plan their escape then it had been before. Sokka and Liling could only talk to him and Suki all at once during the designated hour for being out in the courtyard. Checking to make sure their surroundings were clear, Sokka began formulating his plan. "So listen, I think I have an escape plan. I checked out the Coolers again, the whole point of them is to keep firebenders contained, right?"

"Yeah. . ." Zuko trailed off, not seeing where Sokka was going with this.

"So they're completely insulated and sealed to keep the cold in. Well to keep the cold in it also has to keep the heat out, right?" he continues, not answering the question.

"Just get to the point Sokka." Suki encourages impatiently.

"It's a perfect boat for getting through the boiling water," Sokka explained, waving his arm to mimic the water.

Looking at Sokka skeptically, Liling asks, "The cooler as a boat? Are you sure?"

Dropping his arm, he confidently replied, "I'm telling you, it'll work. I walked around the perimeter. There's a blind spot between two guard towers. It's the perfect launching point. I already tested it out. We'll roll the cooler into the water and just float with the current. It'll take us straight across. As long as we don't make a sound, no one will notice. And bing, bang, boom we're home free."

"But how are you going to get the cooler out?" Liling asks, pointing out a major flaw in the plan. Without the cooler, they had no means of escape so it was integral to make sure they obtained one.

"Yeah, how are you going to get the cooler out?" the prisoner from earlier, Chit Sang, asks, having clearly been eavesdropping on their conversation.

"What? We didn't. . . We. . . We didn't say that." Sokka lamely bluffs, waving his arm dismissively.

"Yeah, you heard wrong." Zuko reaffirmed in a steadier voice than Sokka.

"I heard you hatching an escape plan and I want in." Chit Sang replies, not being wavered.

Scowling, Liling icily informs him, "There's nothing to get in on."

"Yeah, the only thing we're hatching is. . . an egg?" Liling, Zuko and Suki sigh at Sokka's lame attempt to hide the truth.

"Ok, well, I come with you or the Warden hears about this egg too." Chit Sang cooly replies.

Looking to Sokka, Suki sighs dejectedly. "I guess we have no choice."

"Okay, you're in. Now, first, we need someone to unbolt the Cooler from the inside." Sokka instructs, handing Zuko a wrench which he readily pockets.

Cracking his knuckles and smiling coyly, Chit Sang says, "Oh, I can get you inside."

* * *

Ugh. Hey, what are you, stupid?" Chit Sang roars, grabbing onto Zuko's shoulders. "Watch where you're going!" They push each other and Chit Sang lifts Zuko off the ground and throws him.

Zuko manages to land on his feet with a turn and faces Chit Sang. "Hey, you watch who you're shoving." he spits.

"I think you mean ' _whom_ I'm shoving'." Chit Sang shot back. He took his grammar very seriously for a prisoner.

They grab each other's hands as they pretend to struggle. The other prisoners gather round and begin to cheer. They push each other before Zuko breaks off and attempts to throw a punch at Chit Sang. Chit Sang grabs his fist and throws him to the ground.

"I need backup over here." Sokka stages calls, raising his voice to alert the other guards.

"Yes, these two seem very dangerous. They might hurt someone." Liling added, joining him.

Chit Sang attempts to body slam Zuko but Zuko somersaults out of the way. Having landed safely, he proceeds to firebend. Chit Sang jumps back to avoid the flames from scorching his feet.

Finally, a guard joins Liling and Sokka. "No firebending!" he shouts, pointing at Zuko. "Into the Cooler."

Two guards immediately rush in to pin Zuko to the floor. They bring him up and lead him away. Liling and Sokka exchange a glance before following Zuko and his escort.

After making sure no guard was in sight and having given Zuko enough time to successfully remove the screws from the Cooler, Sokka and Liling let themselves inside. "I can take you back to your cell if you've learned your lesson," Liling smirked, leaning against the door.

Lifting his head up and sighing a breath of fire, Zuko smirked back, "Yes, I have. Completely." He opens his palm, revealing the various bolts and nuts he unbolted.

Sokka smiles and lifts his visor up as he whispers, "We got Suki and Chit Sang out of their cells a few minutes ago. They'll be waiting for us at the shore."

"Someone's coming," Zuko said suddenly, his ears perking up at the sound of movement in the outside corridor. Zuko pulls both Liling and Sokka in and quickly slides the inner door closed. The trio pressed their ears to the door, listening in on the approaching guards.

"Yeah, new arrivals coming in at dawn." one guard was heard saying.

"Anybody interesting?" his companion inquired.

"Nah, just the usual. Some robbers, couple of traitors, some war prisoners. Though I did hear there might be a pirate." the first replied, shaking his head.

"War prisoners. It could be your Father." Liling whispered to Sokka as the two guards turned around the corridor.

"I know," Sokka says, looking away and closing his eyes.

"Well, what should we do?" Zuko asked with a slight shrug. "Are we going ahead with the plan or are we waiting another night?"

Shaking his head, Sokka frustratedly cried, "I don't know." He looks from Liling to Zuko with tears in his eyes. "Is it right for me to risk Suki's freedom? All of our freedom on the slim chance that my dad is gonna show up?"

"It's your call Sokka. Do what you think is right." Liling instructed, leaving it up to him. After all, it was Sokka's mission, not to mention Sokka's father. Whether they stayed or escaped was up to him.

* * *

"Took you guys long enough. This here's my girl and my best buddy. They're coming too." Chit Sang explained as Liling, Zuko, and Sokka met up with him, his friends, and Suki on the shore of the prison.

"Fine, everybody in the cooler. Let's go." Sokka snapped, hoisting the Cooler into the water with Zuko and Liling.

"Are you sure you want to go? You're the one who said you wanted to redeem yourself. Redeem your honor. Rescuing your Dad is your chance." Zuko pointed out.

"Your Dad?" Suki inquired, walking towards Sokka and tilting her head in confusion.

"If I had just cut my losses at the invasion, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe sometimes it's just better to call it quits before you fail." Sokka sighed, staring down at the water's edge.

Striding over to Sokka, her hands clasped in front of her, Liling contradicted, "No, it's not. Look Sokka, you're going to fail a lot before things work out."

Standing up, Sokka slings his bag over his shoulder while raising his eyebrows, "That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"Even though you'll probably fail over and over and over again," Liling begins.

Sokka stops in his tracks and says, "Seriously, not helping."

Grabbing Sokka's shoulder, Liling concludes her thought, "You have to try every time. You can't quit because you're afraid you might fail."

"Hey, if you two are done cuddling, can we get a move on?" Chit Sang remarks snidely, clanging against the edge of the Cooler.

Gritting his teeth and making up his mind, Sokka snaps, "No, I'm staying." He drops his bag as he turns around to address Liling, Zuko, and Suki. "You guys go." Sokka places a hand on Suki's shoulder, adding, "You've been here long enough."

Suki grabs his hand reassuringly, saying, "I'm not leaving without you, Sokka."

"We're staying too," Zuko added, denoting to himself and Liling.

"For someone so smart, it was pretty idiotic of you to think we would leave," Liling replied with a smile, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Not me," Chit Sang scoffed. "I'm out. Let's roll baby." He pushes the Cooler and jumps into it.

Watching the Cooler shrink into the distance, Sokka says, "We gave up our only chance of escaping. I hope we haven't just made a huge mistake."

* * *

Once the four of them had left the shore and made it back to the courtyard, Sokka peered towards the entrance and saw the pulley system was moving. "The gondola's moving," Sokka observed, biting his fingernails in anticipation. "This is it. If my Dad's not there, we risked everything for nothing."

"We had to," Suki said, crouching down beside him.

The gondola comes to a screeching halt and the doors are opened. A big, burly man with shaggy long hair, a long beard, a nose ring and a tattoo on his arm walks out, handcuffed.

"Is that him?" Zuko inquires, craning his neck to get a better look at him.

"My Dad doesn't have a nose ring," Sokka replied with a shake of his head. A dozen more prisoners exit the gondola. As each man enters the courtyard, Sokka becomes more and more desperate. "Where is he?" he whispers in a frustrated tone.

A shirtless man with a topknot walks out of the gondola. No one follows behind him.

After another minute of waiting and having no one else exit the gondola, Sokka's face fell. "That's it? That can't be it."

"I'm sorry Sokka," Liling says in a tight voice, knowing nothing she can say will truly make him feel better. They jeopardized their escape for nothing.

"Oh no." he groans, lowering his head in dismay.

"Hey you," a guard calls suddenly. Sokka's eyes snap open as he and the other three look up. "Get off the gondola already!"

Sokka waits nervously in anticipation as the last convicted prisoner begins to emerge. With wide eyes, Sokka recognizes the figure and voices a single word.

"Dad."


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44: A Revised Escape Plan**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Line them up for the Warden!" one of the guards shouted, pulling Sokka out of the reverie of seeing his Dad again.

"Dad." Sokka whispers, rushing down the stairs and nudging his way through the guards, making his way as close to his Dad as possible. "Excuse me, coming through. The Warden wants me over there. Sorry."

"Welcome to The Boiling Rock. I'm sure you've all heard the horrible rumors about our little island. Well, I just want to tell you that they don't have to be true. As long as you do everything I say." He pauses in front of Sokka's dad, starring cynically down at him over the edge of his nose. "Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you."

Refusing to make eye contact, Sokka's Dad, Hakoda, replies steadily, "No."

"Oh, you'd rather look at my shoes? Then take a look!" the Warden shouts, losing his pleasant demeanor. He uses his foot and pulls his handcuffs down to the floor, forcing him into a kneeling position. "I know exactly who you are, Hakoda of the Water Tribe. So strong-willed. But don't worry, we'll get rid of that in time. Now, look me in the eye."

Hakoda does so reluctantly, his gaze full of hate.

His pleasant demeanor back, the warden says with a smile, "See? Isn't that better? You will," he looks at the other prisoners as he says this, "all do as I say or pay the price. You will all-"

Hakoda tilts his handcuffs as the warden's boot get caught in them and he loses his balance, quickly cutting off his speech. Two guards run towards the warden as he and Hakoda stand up.

"Are you okay, Sir?" the first guard asks, holding out his arms, unsure of how to help.

"I'm fine! Get these prisoners out of my sight!" the warden hisses, embarrassed and undignified, pushing his now disheveled hair out of his face.

The guards escort the prisoners to their new cells, Sokka chasing after his father.

"Sokka!" Liling hissed at his retreating figure before running after him.

* * *

Once the guard escorting Hakoda leaves, Sokka steps into the cell and breathes a sigh of relief, quickly followed by Liling who gently shuts the door behind them. "Thank goodness you're okay."

Hakoda stands up on the mattress rapidly with his fist out in an attacking position. "If you take one step closer you'll see just how okay I am," he promises, ready to fight.

Lifting his visor, Sokka smiled. "Dad, it's me."

Lowering his arms, Hakoda tears up. "Sokka, my son."

Sokka removes his helmet and drops it on the floor as they hug. They part after a few seconds.

Grinning, Hakoda said, "You know Sokka, you should be more careful with that guard outfit on. I almost punched you in the gut."

"Yeah," Sokka begins, rubbing his neck sheepishly, "I'm glad you didn't. Also, do you know Prince Zuko?"

"The son of the Firelord? I don't know him, but I knew of him." Hakoda says thoughtfully.

"Well, he's here too, as is Princess Liling."

"Sounds like two major problems," Hakoda said, crossing his arms.

"Actually," Liling began, taking her helmet off and shaking the hair out of her eyes, "My cousin and I are on your side now."

At the sight of the Fire Nation princess, Hakoda's eyes widened in surprise. Sensing this, Sokka explains, "I know, I had the same reaction. After all, they've done, especially Zuko, it was hard to trust them. But both he and Liling have really proven themselves and I would never have found you without their help."

"So, do you have a plan?" Hakoda asks after a moment, having fully accepted the idea of Zuko and Liling being on the right side.

"We had one," Sokka begins, looking away in shame. "But some of the other prisoners got involved and ruined it. I don't know if there's another way off this island."

Patting his son on the back, Hakoda says, "Sokka, there's no prison in the world that can hold two Water Tribe geniuses."

Cracking a grin he replies, "Then we'd better find two."

Hakoda and Sokka both laugh at the lame joke. Smiling, Liling sees herself out of the cell, knowing the two have much catching up to do; catching up that they'd probably like to do in private.

* * *

Raising the hood of her visor, Liling whispers, "Zuko, are you there?"

"I'm here," he calls from the other side of the cell door.

"I just finished talking to Sokka's father. The three of us came up with an escape plan together."

"What are you doing here?" a guard shouts at her suddenly.

Liling lowers her visor and turns to the stairs. "I was just telling this dirty lowlife what I think of him!" she exclaimed, denoting to Zuko's cell door.

"Well, you'll have to do that later, he's coming with us." replied a second guard with a slight smirk.

Look from Zuko's cell door to the guards, she inquired, "Why?"

"Because we have orders straight from the Warden. That's why." snapped the first guard.

Biting her lip, Liling asked, "Could I just get ten more seconds to rough him up a bit?" She punches his right fist into his left palm to emphasize her point.

Crossing her arms and leaning against the railing, the second guard sighed. "Fine, ten seconds."

Liling practically dove into Zuko's cell upon being given clearance and proceeded to pretend to punch him, instead letting her fists collide into a pillow that Zuko held in front of her, letting out staged grunts of pain every time she hit the pillow. "We have a new plan but it's gonna need a big distraction," Liling informed him. "Be in the yard in one hour."

The door begins to open as Zuko is caught off guard. As the door the opens, Liling lunges at Zuko's head as Zuko drops the pillow and attempts to choke Zuko. Taken aback by being tackled by his cousin, Zuko splutters before hitting the floor, his eyes growing wide.

"Alright, that's enough." the second guard says as she pulls Liling off of Zuko. The two guards then lead Zuko out of his cell. Liling watches him disappear before vanishing herself, turning the corner quickly, hoping he would be able to meet her in the courtyard in one hour.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45: A Surprise Reunion**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Liling was walking down a corridor, making her way towards the courtyard when a hand shot out and tightly wrapped around her upper arm. Before she could so much as cry out in surprise, she was stuffed into a closet and cringed upon hearing the door lock. However, the darkness was soon evaporated as a light was turned on. Squinting to see who had grabbed her, her eyes widened at the sight of a familiar face.

"Ty Lee? What. . . how did you know I was here?" she spluttered, at a complete loss for words.

"Because I know you so well." Ty Lee replied, her usual cheerful demeanor gone and appearing more like Mai than her usual upbeat self.

Whipping her helmet off and scratching her head in confusion, Liling trails off, "But. . . how?"

"The Warden's Mai's uncle. When he told her Zuko was here, she, Azula, and I had a feeling you would be with him. But the truth is, I guess I don't know you as well as I thought. All I get is a letter. You could have at least personally told me you were going to betray our nation and run away."

"I didn't mean to. . ." Liling began apologetically.

"You didn't mean to?" Ty Lee interrupts, walking towards Liling as she reads the contents of a letter aloud, "Ty Lee, I'm sorry that you have to find out this way, but I'm leaving. I can't stand to see what the Fire Nation has done to the world anymore so I'm busting Iroh out of prison so that together we may help the Avatar stop Fire Lord Ozai before he can do any more damage; before he can ruin any more lives."

"Stop!" Liling harshly demands, storming over to Ty Lee. "This isn't about you, or Mai, or Azula. This is about the Fire Nation and how it needs to be stopped."

"That makes me feel all better, Liling, thanks," she says before throwing the letter at Liling's head.

Liling grabs the letter and rubs the spot where Ty Lee threw the letter at. "Ty Lee, I never wanted to hurt you, or any of our friends, but I have to do this to save our country."

" _Save_ it? You're _betraying_ your country, Liling!" Ty Lee shouted, clutching Liling's hands in her own. "You're _betraying_ your friends. You're _betraying_ me!"

"That's not how I see it," Liling whispered softly, hanging her head and pulling her hands out of Ty Lee's. "I _never_ meant to hurt you, I just didn't want to drag you into it because I knew if I had asked you and Mai to come with Zuko and me, you two would have refused and probably even have informed Azula. I couldn't risk that happening. I had to do what I believed was right because what the Fire Nation is doing, what Ozai and Azula are doing, it's _wrong_ , Ty Lee. It's hurting people and tearing apart families. I've been all over the world for the past three years and I have witnessed the damage first hand. Sons and daughters stolen away in the middle of the night because the Fire Nation needed children to work in the coal mines, entire villages and forests burned black and permanently scarred for the next decades and even centuries to come, entire families with scars that make Zuko's look like a paper cut. I _have_ to stop this, Ty Lee. And if you don't want to help me, then at least stay out of my way."

With that, Liling moved to exit the storage closet. However, Ty Lee flipped in between her and the door, blocking her exit. "I can't let you leave, Liling."

"Move, Ty Lee. Don't make me have to ask you again." Liling threatened, gritting her teeth.

"Or what?" Ty Lee inquired mockingly, crossing her arms. "You'll firebend at me?"

"No, because I won't need to to beat you. But I _will_ fight you and I _will_ win." Liling replied, matching Ty Lee's threatening tone and mimicking her fighting stance.

With a sigh, Ty Lee asked, "So that's it then, huh?" before moving to jab Liling in the arm.

Seeing it coming, Liling ducked out of the way and slammed the edge of her hand into Ty Lee's inner elbow, giving her a fraction of a second to step out of dodge. In hand to hand combat, Ty Lee was a serious threat. While she wasn't the most powerful fighter, she was incredibly quick and agile, knowing just where to strike to down an opponent. Liling knew that if she were to avoid being downed, she would have to avoid Ty Lee at all costs. Reacting to the elbow jab as though it were nothing, Ty Lee swung her legs around and attempted to knock Liling off her feet. Jumping back to avoid the swipe, Liling was then forced to flip midair to avoid the jab at her abdomen that Ty Lee had attempted.

The two landed on their feet and stared at each other in the eye, chests already heaving from the exertion of the fight. They were both incredibly gifted and skilled warriors; an even match for one another. The fight would last until one of them landed a blow by chance or until they began to tire.

Straightening up, Ty Lee ran right for Liling. Not reacting in time, Liling simply cringed, waiting for the blow that would take away her bending and incapacitate her until she was brought to Azula. When the blow did not come, she slowly opened an eye to see Ty Lee gripping her arms. "Azula is here. Last time I saw her, she was with the warden, interrogating a prisoner. You need to escape while she's distracted. I'll try to keep her off your trail but you need to leave the prison now because the second she's done with the warden, she will come for you. I'm not the only person you hurt upon leaving after all. _Go!_ " With that, Ty Lee slipped Liling's helmet back on and shoved her out of the closet before turning down the hall and running away without sparing her another glance.

"Thank you, Ty Lee," Liling whispered, knowing her gratitude had gone unheard before turning and sprinting down the opposite corridor, making a beeline for the courtyard. If Azula really was here, then they would definitely need to heed Ty Lee's advice and escape while they still could.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46: A Helpful Hostage**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Arriving at the courtyard, Liling skidded to a sudden halt. There were prisoners all over the place, all of whom were engaged in a full-scale prison riot. Straightening up, she craned her neck in search for Zuko or Sokka when she saw Sokka waving her over from the middle of the mayhem.

"Liling, good. We're all here." Sokka says before pointing to the top of a tower. "Now all we need is grab the Warden and get to the gondolas."

"And how do we do that?" Zuko asks, crossing his arms.

Scratching his head sheepishly, Sokka replies, "I'm not sure."

"Argh, I thought you had thought this through!" Zuko cried, gripping his temples in frustration.

Hysterically Sokka cried, "I thought you told me it's okay not to think everything through!"

"Maybe not everything. But this is kind of important." Zuko clenches his fists while Sokka puts his finger on his chin in thought.

"Hey, uh, fellas," Chit Sang says, getting their attention. "I think your girlfriends are taking care of it."

Sokka and Zuko follow Chit Sang's finger to see both Suki and Liling had left them to their moping to flat-out sprint towards the warden. Given that the courtyard is filled with rioting prisoners, they have to jump on the inmate's heads to successfully clear a path. Liling nears the base of the tower and laces her fingers together as Suki leaps, a foot landing in Liling's hands. The second Suki's foot touches her hand, Liling rockets Suki up the tower before scaling the walls herself.

She pushes herself from the wall as she backflips to land her feet on some pipes below the platform. Suki flips herself from below the platform to a railing as a guard comes by and starts to firebend. She flips off the railing, as Liling joins her, intercepting the flames with her own, blasting the guard into a nearby wall, rendering him unconscious. Just as he goes down, two more guards jump out from a corridor. One of the guards aims a firebending kick towards Suki but she dodges and uses her arm to trip his other leg, sending him to the ground with a loud thud. The other guard firebends but Liling dodges the flames and jumps to the railing behind him, sending a fireball at his unprotected back and knocking him over. She quickly then jumps onto the wall. The guard stares at her and Suki, dumbfounded.

The warden looks down with shock as he sees Suki and Liling scale the wall. The pair flips over the railing and lands down on the platform. The guard near the warden gets into a stance and before he does so, Liling quickly sends two fireballs at him, knocking him over as Suki flips over and holds his arm in a deadlock grip. Her other hand is positioned dangerously in front of the warden's face should he attempt to fight back.

"You wouldn't dare." the warden hisses, looking from Suki to Liling.

Suki turns the warden around and brings his hands together as she rapidly ties them with a red string as Liling pulls down the warden's headband and turns it around so the tie is on his mouth, acting as a makeshift gag.

"Sorry Warden, but you're our prisoner now," Suki said, tightening the gag.

"Nice one," Liling commented as Suki slams the warden against the wall.

The two girls suddenly look to their right when they hear the sound of running feet. The guys had finally caught up with them. "We've got the Warden, now let's get out of here," Suki shouted over the chaos.

The group begins running down the platform, the warden tossed carelessly over Chit Sang's shoulder. Having cleared the prisoners and the riot, they begin ascending a staircase towards the gondola.

"We're almost there." Liling encourages through gritted teeth.

However, their path is soon cut off by several guards.

"Back off, we've got the Warden." Zuko threatens. The guards loosen their stances slightly, allowing them to pass lest they hurt their boss. "Let's go." Zuko orders, urging them on.

The group slowly and warily walk past the guards with their arms outstretched should the guards attack them. Zuko stops at the end of the platform while the rest run towards the gondola.

"Everyone in." Suki orders, waving the rest of the group inside.

Sokka boards the gondola first, then the rest run in. Zuko still remains on the platform and he runs to the lever, pushing it down. The ropes of the gondola loosen and uncoil. The gondola slowly moves off, leaving Zuko behind. Zuko kicks the lever several times. He turns his head to see several guards running towards him. With one final kick, he successfully breaks the lever and runs towards the gondola.

Zuko flies over the railings with fireballs sailing over his head. Liling reaches out her arm as she catches Zuko. Zuko manages to grab hold to the sides of the gondola as Liling holds his arms for support as Zuko climbs in.

"What are you doing?" Sokka shouts at him.

"I'm making it so they can't stop us," Zuko explained, massaging his shoulder.

"Way to think ahead." Liling complemented, lightly punching Zuko in the arm.

Sighing with patent glee, Suki exclaims, "We're on our way."

Peering outside the gondola, Hakoda kills the joyful mood, asking, "Wait. Who's that?"

Liling and Zuko turn their heads to see Azula, Ty Lee and some guards entering the gondola tower.

"That's a problem. It's my sister and her friend." Zuko informed those who didn't know, a deep frown settling on his face. This would not be fun.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47: Two More Traitors**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Biting her lip in nervous anticipation, Liling scrutinized the scene unfolding at the gondola tower. Azula glared at the disappearing gondola before turning her head to the side. She strides over to a guard and snatches the handcuffs clipped on his waist.

As Azula does this, Ty Lee cartwheels onto the cables of the gondola. Azula can be seen running ahead below them. Ty Lee proceeds to run onto the line, easily maintaining her balance while sprinting across the unstable cable. Azula firebends a huge jet of blue fire out of one fist, using the other hand to lock the handcuffs around the gondola cable; creating a makeshift zip line. She then proceeds to firebend another huge jet of fire. The force slides her across the line.

"This is a rematch I've been waiting for," Suki says, clenching her fist.

Uncrossing his arms, Zuko agrees. "Me too." He proceeds to climb up to the gondola's roof. Liling is quick to join him, grabbing onto the edge of the roof and flipping herself on top of the gondola.

As Azula and Ty Lee near the gondola, Suki, Sokka, Liling, and Zuko prepare themselves for a fight. Ty Lee cartwheels off the line, onto the roof, facing Suki and Sokka. Azula lands on the other side of the roof, sinking into a crouch as she faces Zuko and Liling. Azula stands up with an evil grin on her face before sinking into a firebending stance, her arms outstretched in front of her.

On the other side of the roof, Suki makes the first move. Ty Lee attempts to chi block Suki but Suki blocks all her shots deftly. Suki attempts to punch Ty Lee but Ty Lee brings up her arm and intercepts the punch. They struggle briefly with neither one gaining the upper hand. Suki punches again but Ty Lee flips out of the way. Sokka raises his sword and aims a blow at Ty Lee's back as she lands but she quickly slides to the other side of the gondola, slips in between Azula and Zuko and Liling before arching herself into the open window, rolling to a stop inside the gondola before swiftly exiting out the other side. Appearing behind Sokka's back, Ty Lee attempts to chi block him but Suki intercepts her blows, catching each one on the edge of her arm to protect Sokka's unguarded back. However, all three are forced to duck as a stray jet of blue flame sails over their heads, nearly scorching them.

Zuko pushes Azula's second flame apart with his bare hands, dissipating it. Liling proceeds to swing her arm down, launching a fireball straight at Azula. Azula dodges Liling and firebends towards her. Liling easily breaks the flame apart with her hands and firebends towards her cousin. Azula jumps and turns before landing back down with a grin. Her eyes suddenly widen and blink. Zuko launched a surprise flame at her. Azula moves back to avoid the fire, having no time to react in any other way. She is cornered, having been pushed to the edge of the roof.

Seeing this, Zuko takes the lead by firebending at his sister's feet. Azula jumps and lands in a push-up position, balancing only on her hands. She moves her legs across her body and firebends at her family members who dissipate the blast with two of their own.

On the other side of the gondola, Suki and Ty Lee part to let the flame pass by before immediately re-attacking each other, Sokka protecting Suki's blind spots from Ty Lee's chi blocking.

Azula fires a shot towards her brother but Zuko once again breaks the fire apart and sends another shot towards his sister. Azula jumps out of the way and firebends back as she lands. Liling steps in and breaks the fire apart, also making sure the flames don't stray too closely to Suki, Sokka, or Ty Lee.

The gondola stops suddenly and sways to and fro precariously.

"They're about to cut the line!" Ty Lee shouts in warning, looking back at the tower.

Azula turns her head back to the tower as well, only to see two guards hacking at the line with a saw. Turning back towards Ty Lee, she replies, "Then it's time to leave." She smiles and propels herself from the roof with her firebending. "Goodbye Zuko, Liling."

Ty Lee spares Liling a quick glance but she shakes her head, signaling for her to go on without her. Ty Lee quickly runs down the cable just as Azula flips off, shaking off the handcuff. Ty Lee is quick to join her on the platform.

Sokka, Suki, Liling, and Zuko clamber back inside the gondola. "They're cutting the line. The gondola's about to go!" Zuko shouts to everyone inside.

"I hope this thing floats," Liling mutters, bracing herself for impact and praying her and Zuko's firebending could save them from boiling water.

They all look down at the tower, waiting with baited breath for the last piece of line to be severed, sending them on an unscheduled swim. However, they see Mai leap onto the platform, pinning a guard's hands with her knives, preventing him from continuing so sever the line. Ty Lee sneaks up behind the other and jabs him twice in the back, causing him to keel over in pain. They two are soon surrounded by guards who move towards them. Mai releases a knife while a guard proceeds to firebend at her. Ty Lee flips over to him and chi blocks his arm, preventing him from firebending at Mai, who proceeds to throw a dagger at the guard who was rushing towards Ty Lee, pinning him to a nearby wall instead. Most of the guards get pinned by Mai's weapons or knocked to the ground, temporarily paralyzed by Ty Lee. The guards who remain untouched continue to firebend at the pair. Mai slides across the floor, narrowly missing the flames and slides across the two wheels as she stands up and releases more daggers into her hands. The guards who run towards her get pinned down by her weapons or tripped by Ty Lee. Mai takes one of the guards captives and uses her as a shield, all the while throwing more daggers at the guards behind her. She releases another dagger and brings the female guard to the floor, pinning her wrist guard to the ground

Once all the guards are pinned or have had their bending rendered useless and knocked over, Mai kicks away the metal object that is preventing the lines from being loosened. The wheel turns and the gondola continues to move.

"Who are they?" Sokka splutters in both awe and confusion.

"It's Mai." Zuko cried, running towards the far end of the gondola to get a better look at her.

"And Ty Lee!" Liling added, standing by Zuko and peering out of the gondola at her best friends.

However, both Ty Lee and Mai disappear from sight as the gondola reaches the outer part of the crater. The door opens and Suki rushes out followed by Sokka, Zuko, Liling, Hakoda and Chit Sang.

Hakoda turns towards Chit Sang and points to the inside of the gondola. Chit Sang proceeds to throw the warden back in. "Sorry Warden, your record is officially broken," he says before the group departs.

"Well, we made it out. Now what?" Suki inquires, walking over to Sokka.

Sokka stops and looks back at Zuko who pauses in his tracks, deep in thought. "Zuko, what are you doing?"

"My sister was on that island," Zuko mumbles, unhelpfully.

With an eye roll, Sokka says, "Yeah and she's probably right behind us. So let's not stop."

"What I mean is she must have come here somehow." Zuko clarifies. He runs to the edge of the rocks and looks down. "There," he points at a massive zeppelin, "That's our way out of here."

* * *

As they emerged from the Fire Nation zeppelin, Katara asks, "What are you doing in this thing? What happened to the war balloon?"

"It kind of got destroyed." Zuko sheepishly replied.

"Sounds like a crazy fishing trip," Aang exclaimed, eying the contraption.

The last to approach, Toph asked, "Did you at least get some good meat?"

"I did. The best meat of all. The meat of friendship and fatherhood." Sokka replies, causing more confusion than clarification. However, when Suki, Hakoda, and Chit Sang emerge, clarity settles in.

Waving, Chit Sang greets them all. "I'm new. What's up everybody?"

Tearing up, Katara rushes towards her dad. "Dad."

"Hi, Katara," he replied, hugging her close.

"How are you here? What is going on? Where did you go?" Katara spluttered, more curious now then she had been at the sight of the zeppelin.

"We. . . kind of went to a Fire Nation prison." Sokka sheepishly replied.

Everyone silently mulled over the surprising news. Toph interrupted the silence, asking, "Seriously, you guys didn't find any meat?"


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48: Family Visit**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

 _Whack!_

Everyone was immediately awoken by the sound. Eyes frantically roaming the surrounding scene, it wasn't difficult to spot Aang, knocking aside bomb after bomb that was being shot at them by a Fire Nation zeppelin.

More bombs are hurled towards the Western Air Temple from below the clouds. Fire Nation airships slowly emerge from the clouds. A canon from one of the airships fires a bomb, destroying a bridge on the temple. Aang retreats back inside the temple, twirling his staff, airbending a huge gust of air as more bombs are hurled and subsequently explode.

The ceiling crumbles and shakes. One of the pieces dislodges, falling right towards where Katara was standing.

"Watch out!" Zuko shouts, pushing her out of the way. They roll and tumble before the ceiling piece lands at the spot Katara was.

"What are you doing?" Katara demands, outraged.

"Keeping rocks from crushing you." Zuko snaps, making sure she was completely uninjured.

Frowning, she replies, "Okay, I'm not crushed. You can get off me now," before sliding out from under Zuko.

"I'll take that as a thank you." he bitterly remarks, standing up.

Suddenly, a wall begins to crumble apart, revealing a tunnel. Pointing to the tunnel she had just created, Toph shouts, "Come on, we can get out through here!"

"What are you doing?" Aang shouts back, forcing Appa to settle down by manipulating the reins.

Looking from the approaching Fire Nation airships to her friends, Liling cries, "Go ahead, I'll hold them off."

Frowning at the ships, Zuko adds, "I will too. I think this is a family visit."

She runs towards the airships, Zuko following her.

"Liling, Zuko, no!" Aang shouts, stunned that they would do such a thing.

Sokka and Katara are seen running towards Aang and bodily pull him into the tunnel. "Come on, we gotta get out of here," Sokka advises as the three of them proceed to pull on Appa's reins, urging him into the tunnel.

Zuko and Liling jump over the crumpled portions of the temple, heading straight for the edge. A bomb lands in the middle of the courtyard and explodes, sending black smoke everywhere. The two jump out from the smoke with a smoke sphere around them, unharmed. Zuko starts to firebend while Liling moves through the motions of lightning bending. Zuko's flames lick the underside of the airship, causing the metal to buckle slightly. At the same moment, Liling unfurls her lightning directly into the same spot the flames scorched, causing the ship to convulse. As the ship teeters to the side, the middle ship emerges, a familiar figure smiling down at the two of them.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko shouts at her, gritting his teeth in fury.

"You mean it's not obvious yet?" Azula sneers down at him. "I'm about to celebrate becoming the only heir left in our family!" She flips over the railings and firebends with her feet at Liling and Zuko. As Azula flips back, the area Zuko and Liling had been just a moment ago explodes, covering the entire area in black smoke. Zuko, running away from the explosion, falls down from the impact. Liling runs past him, waving a hand in front of her face to keep the smoke at bay. Running across the floor, she proceeds to run up a split pillar. As the pillar slowly falls, Liling launches herself off it, sailing through the air towards Azula as she firebends. Zuko follows her, throwing a fireball at Azula.

Azula jumps off and lands below before the flames can hit her. Both Zuko and Liling are falling rapidly and struggling to hold on to the Fire Nation symbol on the airship. The two vanish beneath the clouds as Azula stands up and looks down at them, a small smirk playing on the corners of her lips.

Suddenly, Appa darts by, angling himself towards the free-falling Zuko and Liling. Azula firebends at Appa but a powerful blast of gold and sapphire flames deflect the flow of her flames. Azula cocks an eyebrow and looks back to a rising airship behind her. Both Zuko and Liling are seen standing on the airship, looking down at her with looks of fierce determination on their faces. The two of them run and propel themselves off the ship, aiming for Azula. Azula firebends at them but the flame is kicked aside before blasted right back at her.

Azula does a backward somersault to avoid the flames as Liling and Zuko land in front of her. Zuko firebends at Azula but she dissipates it with a swipe of her arm before she sends a shot at Liling who also swipes it aside. Azula swipes her cousin's fire away with her right hand and with her left hand she sends her own shots to Zuko. Zuko kicks away the flames with his right and left foot. Azula makes multiple blasts at the both of them, but the two simply swipe away the flames while closing in on her.

Azula throws her left first out. Zuko pushes Azula's fire away with his right hand and brings out his flaming left fist. The two collide their firsts and the impact causes a huge explosion.

Azula skids across the surface of the airship. She gets flipped onto her stomach and she struggles to hold on but is thrown off. Zuko and Liling tumble across the surface of the opposite side of the ship. Liling attempts to gain purchase with her nails but they aren't sharp enough to penetrate the thick metal hull of the Fire Nation ships. She and Zuko's eyes widen in fear as they fall off the airship.

Appa flies by, suddenly, catching both Zuko and Liling in his saddle. As soon as the firebending cousins are safe, the group turns back to see if Azula had also fallen safely or hit the ground.

"She's not going to make it," Liling observes, watching her former friend spiral towards the ground.

Azula rips the hairpiece out of her hair and firebends with her feet, the force propelling her to the nearby cliff. As she nears the cliff, she backflips and digs her hairpiece into the rocks as she skids down, pushing her legs against the rocks to slow down her descend. She finally stops, safely avoiding going _splat_.

"Of course she did," Zuko mumbled before looking away and seating himself in the saddle.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49: Southern Raiders**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

After several hours of flying Appa finally touched down in Ember Island, by Zuko and Liling's summer vacation home where they had come with Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai what felt like an entire lifetime ago.

"Wow, camping. It really seems like old times again, doesn't it?" Aang inquired, hopping off his flying bison and twirling to the ground on a gust of wind.

"If you really want to feel like old times, Liling and I could, uhh. . . chase you around a while and try to capture you." Zuko suggests, absentmindedly breaking a biscuit in half.

"Haha. You're hilarious." Liling says dryly, playfully shoving her cousin in the shoulder.

Raising his glass, Sokka toasts, "To Zuko and Liling. Who knew after all those times they tried to snuff us out, today, they'd be our hero."

"Here, here." Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Aang cheer while Katara crosses her arms tightly across her chest, huffing irritably.

Blushing slight, Liling waves her hand dismissively. "Aw, you guys are so sweet."

"I'm touched. I don't deserve this." Zuko says, his cheeks glowing red.

"Yeah, no kidding," Katara mumbled, getting up and storming off.

Raising an eyebrow at Katara's retreating figure, Sokka inquires, "What's with her?"

"I wish I knew," Liling whispered, setting her cup aside and following Katara.

"What's with her?" Sokka repeats as Liling walks by.

Frowning at his biscuit, Zuko lays it beside Liling's cup before following his cousin in search of Katara.

Sighing exasperatedly, Sokka gives them both a quizzical look, a look that goes utterly ignored.

* * *

After a moment, Zuko and Liling finally caught up with Katara. Upon seeing their approach, she slides away from them before crossing her arms, further isolating herself.

When she doesn't say anything, Zuko holds his arms out in front of him and whines, "This isn't fair. Everyone else seems to trust us now. What is it with you?"

Whipping around to face him, Katara jabs him in the chest and snaps, "Oh, everyone trust you now? I was the first person to trust you, remember back in Ba Sing Se. And you turned around and betrayed me. Betrayed all of us."

Comprehension dawned on the two then. Zuko shook his head shamefully while Liling's worried gaze flitted from her ashamed cousin to her bitter friend.

"What can I do to make it up to you?" Zuko asks suddenly, raising his head so he was gazing directly into Katara's eyes.

"You really want to know? Hmm, maybe you could re-conquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King. Or, I know. You could bring my mother back." She hits Zuko's shoulder with her own as she storms past.

Zuko looks at her sadly but doesn't follow. Wrapping her arm around his, Liling says encouragingly, "You couldn't have prevented either of those occurrences, Zuko. Neither of us could have. We were just children ourselves when Katara's mother was killed and it was Azula who conquered Ba Sing Se. You don't need to feel guilty about either one of those events. Katara's just upset but I'm sure she'll get over it."

Shaking his head, Zuko smiled sadly at Liling before replying, "I know you're just trying to make me feel better but it's going to take more than time for Katara to trust me again. There's gotta be something I can do to make it up to her." With that, he walked over to Sokka's tent and opened the flap. After a moment, Liling ducked in after him. If he was going to make things right with Katara, she wanted to be there to act as the peacekeeper.

Upon entering the tent, both Liling and Zuko freeze. Sokka is lying on his stomach, surrounded by candles and bunches of roses. His hair down and half his clothes removed, he clutches a rose between his teeth.

"Well, hello," he greets, opening his eyes. His eyes widen suddenly he swallows the rose at the sight of Liling and Zuko. "Uh, Zuko, Liling. Yes," he splutters, sitting up, "Why would I be expecting anyone different? So what's on your mind?"

"Your sister, she hates me and I don't know why! But I do care what she thinks of me." Zuko shouts breathlessly.

Waving a hand dismissively, Sokka replies, "Nah, she doesn't hate you. Katara doesn't hate anyone. Except maybe some people in the Fire Nation." His eyes widen at the last sentence. "No, I mean, uh, not people who are good but used to be bad. I mean, bad people. Fire Nation people who are so bad, who have never been good and probably won't be ever!" he amends.

"Stop," Liling says, interrupting him. "Okay, listen. I know this may seem a little strange, but I think what Zuko wants to know is; what happened to you and Katara's Mother?" she spared Zuko a quick gaze and he nodded once, affirming what she said to be true.

"What?" Sokka gasps, not having expected that. "Why would you want to know that?"

"Katara mentioned it before when we were imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se and again just now when she was yelling at me. I think somehow. . . she's connected her anger about that to her anger at me." Zuko explained, tugging nervously on the edge of his shirt. The day he betrayed Iroh and Liling in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se was not a day he liked to remember.

"It's not a day I like to remember," Sokka says sadly before explaining what happened. "Many of the warriors have seen the black snow before and they knew what it meant. A Fire Nation raid. We were badly outnumbered. But somehow, we managed to drive them off. As quickly as they came, they just left. I was so relieved when it was over but, that's because I didn't know yet what had happened. I didn't know we lost our Mother."

"Wait. Can you remember any details about the soldiers who raided your village Like, what the lead ship looked like?" Zuko asked, eager for any information Sokka could give him.

"Yeah. . . Sea Ravens. The main ship had flags with sea ravens on them." Sokka informed them, pulling out of a deep thought.

"The symbol of The Southern Raiders." Liling whispered in recognition of the symbol.

"Thanks, Sokka," Zuko said appreciatively.

"No problem. Thanks for stopping by." Sokka says, shoving the two out of his tent.


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50: Another Field Trip**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"You look terrible." Katara remarks bitterly, lightly leaping over Zuko as she leaves her tent and rummages through her bag.

Standing up, Zuko rubs his eyes and says, "I waited out here all night."

"What do you want?" Katara bluntly asks, running a comb through her hair.

"I know who killed your Mother. Liling and I are going to help you find him."

* * *

I need to borrow Appa." Katara says, striding past Aang and proceeding to climb into Appa's saddle. Zuko and Liling trail behind her, each holding an overnight bag.

"Why? Is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko and Liling?" Aang asks, taking a break from shoveling hay into Appa's mouth.

"Yes, it is," Katara replies simply, giving no explanation as to why they are departing.

Surprised, Aang inquires, "Oh. What's going on?"

Her jaw clenching, Katara replies, "We're going to find the man who took my Mother from me."

"Sokka told Zuko and I the story of what happened. We know who did it. And we know how to find him." Liling explained, preparing to jump aboard Appa herself.

"Umm. . . and what exactly do you think this would accomplish?" Aang asks, fearing what Katara might tell him.

Shaking her head, Katara sighs. "I knew you wouldn't understand." She turns and begins to walk away.

"Wait, stop, I do understand. You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?" Aang asks empathetically.

"She needs this, Aang. This is about getting closure and justice." Liling says suddenly.

"I don't think so. I think it's about getting revenge." Aang contradicted with a slight frown etching itself into his face.

"Fine!" Katara snaps. "Maybe it is. Maybe that's what I need. Maybe that's what he deserves."

"Katara, you sound like Jet." Aang points out, issuing a low blow.

"It's not the same. Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a _monster_." Katara retaliated, emphasizing the last word to get her point across.

"Katara, she was my Mother too. But I think Aang might be right." Sokka says after a moment, reaching a hand towards his sister.

"Then you didn't love her the way I did." Katara snapped, shrugging away from Sokka's touch.

"Katara. . ." Sokka trails off, speechless.

"The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat-viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself." Aang says, producing some Iroh level advice.

"That's cute. But this isn't air temple pre-school. It's the real world." Zuko contradicted, shaking his head.

With a heavy sigh, Katara adds, "Now that I know he's out there, now that I know we could find him, I feel like I have no choice."

"Katara, you do have a choice. Forgiveness." Aang implored of her.

"That's the same as doing nothing." Zuko corrects him.

Shaking his head, Aang replies, "No it's not. It's easy to do nothing. But it's hard to forgive."

"It's not just hard, it's impossible." Katara turns and walks away.

* * *

"So you were just going to take Appa anyway?" Aang inquires suddenly, popping out from behind a rock, catching Katara in the act of climbing aboard his bison.

"Yes," she replies, unabashed.

"It's okay because I forgive you." At that, he gives a hopeful smile. "That give you any ideas?"

"Don't try to stop us," Katara says, clearly having been given no ideas as she, Zuko and Liling prepare to leave.

"I wasn't planning to. This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man. But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out and then let it go. Forgive him." Aang implores of her.

"Okay, we'll be sure to do that guru-goody-goody." Zuko sarcastically quips, throwing his bag up and over into the saddle.

"We'll be on our best behavior," Liling promises sarcastically, hoisting herself up after Zuko.

"Thanks for understanding Aang. Yip yip." Katara says, snapping the reins. Appa takes off, then, the field trip now began.

* * *

They'd only been flying for a few hours when they entered Fire Nation waters, their campsite having been conveniently closer to the Fire Nation than the Western Air Temple.

Looking over the edge of the saddle, Liling advised, "We need to find the Fire Navy communication tower. All the navy's movements are coordinated by messenger hawk. And every tower has to be up to date on where everyone is deployed."

"So once we find the communication tower, we bust in and take the information we need," Katara asked, eager for some revenge at long last.

Shaking her head, Liling quickly shot down the idea. "Not exactly. We need to be stealthy and make sure no one spots us. Otherwise, they'll warn The Southern Raiders. Long before we reach them."

They land on the rocky shore of one of the communication towers. Katara waterbends the water into a raft of ice and the trio jump on it. She then proceeds to surf the raft, creating a tall wave to bring the raft up to the tower, forming a makeshift bridge. The three of them jump off the raft and begin running down a corridor. Two guards walk out but they are able to sneak past them.

After running past the two guards, they find the room where the records are kept. Slinking inside, Zuko and Liling immediately head over to a certain section of the room and flip through scroll after scroll before finding the one they were looking for.

"Okay, Southern Raiders," Zuko says, unfurling a scroll onto a table. "There," he points, "On patrol near Whale Tail Island."

Her brow furrowing, Katara whispers almost ritualistically, "Whale Tail Island, here we come."

* * *

It was now daybreak and they were still a good distance away from their destination. Sliding over to where Katara sat, Zuko suggested, "You should get some rest. We'll be there in a few hours. You'll need all your strength."

"No, don't you worry about my strength. I have plenty. I'm not the helpless little girl I was when they came." Katara replies, rubbing at one of the bags under her eyes. "I ran as fast as I could. But, we were too late. When we got there, the man was gone. And so was she." she finishes, her voice crackling slightly near the end.

"Your Mother was a brave woman," Liling says quietly after a moment.

Unconsciously placing a hand on her necklace, Katara replies, "I know."

"There!" Zuko shouts suddenly, interrupting the sullen mood. The two girls turn to look at where he is pointing. "See those Sea Raven flags?" He throws the telescope to Katara to allow her to look through it. "It's The Southern Raiders."

Removing the telescope from her eye, Katara nods, saying, "Let's do this."

They dive into the water, Katara creating a bubble of air around the three of them and Appa all the while waterbending at the boat, doing as much damage as possible. Upon reaching the surface, she waterbends a stream of water, which coils around a passing guard. He gets pulled into the water with a scream. The other soldiers run to the side of the ship to look, however, Appa had submerged again, only to pop out just as quickly on the other side.

Katara waterbends two huge waves on both sides of the boat and sends them rocketing towards the ship. The soldiers get hit by the wave and are weightlessly tossed into the ocean. A lone soldier managed to stay on deck stands up by shakily holding the side of the ship. Appa lands noisily on the deck and the soldier turns back. Katara charges at him, tears in her eyes. The soldier firebends at her but is soon thrown overboard into the ocean by a tunnel of water.

The trio pushes through the two doors to exit the deck and rush into the corridor. Katara has bent water around her arms. A door opens and a soldier brandishing a sword pops out. Zuko grabs the soldier's arm and holds onto the sword as he pushes the soldier back into the storeroom. A second soldier emerges but rather than firebend at him, Liling simply grabs him by the arm and flips him onto his back, leaving him in a breathless daze as he hits the ground hard with a dull thump.

At the end of the corridor, Zuko turned to Katara and asked, "This is it, Katara. Are you ready to face him?"

Katara pulls down her mask, signaling she's ready. She turns on the spot and waterbends towards the door with a battle cry of both anguish and unbridled fury.

Water seeps through the sides and the door bursts open to reveal Katara. Zuko and Liling enter the room quickly to dissipate the flames issued by the assailant.

"Who are you?" the Captain asks, looking at each of the teens, not sure who to fear the most.

"You don't remember her? You will soon. Trust me." Liling tells him with a small smirk, placing her hands on her hips.

Zuko firebends again. The Captain moves to the side and breaks the flame. He proceeds to bend, his arm shaking uncontrollably.

"What?" he looks at his arm as it moves around wildly. He struggles and groans as he tries to contain it with his other arm. His arm drops to the floor and his body bends forward. His helmet falls off his head. "What's happening to me?" he shouts in pure, undisguised terror. He looks up to see Katara in a bloodbending stance, smiling. She brings down her arms and the Captain's body is brought to the floor.

Blinking to get over the shock of Katara's technique, Zuko bends down and orders, "Think back. Think back to your last raid on the Southern Water Tribe."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Please, I don't know!" the Captain cries, huddled on the floor.

"Don't lie! You look her in the eye and you tell me you don't remember what you did." Zuko screams, pointing a finger at Katara.

Katara brings her arms up, bringing the Captain up to his knees. He looks back at her, extremely frightened. Looking into his eyes, Katara's face softens before her eyes widen in shock. "It's not him. He's not the man."

"What? What do you mean he's not?" Liling splutters, denoting the Captain. "He's a leader of The Southern Raiders! He has to be the guy!"

Katara wordlessly turns and walks away. As the Captain struggles to his fee, Zuko pulls him by the arm and pushes him against the window in an arm lock. "If you're not the man we're looking for, who is?" he demands furiously.

"You must be looking for Yon Rha. He retired four years ago." the Captain quickly supplies.

Zuko lets the Captain go, then, and looks to Katara, wordlessly asking her what she wanted to do next. With a slight nod and a steely glint in her eyes, her mind was made up. They needed to find Yon Rha.


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51: Forgiveness**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

They had found the island where Yon Rha lived and after hours of staking him out, they finally spotted him in the market.

"Are you positive that this is the guy?" Liling asked, gazing from the man to Katara, hoping she would finally get the closure she so desperately desired.

After squinting at the man's retreating figure, Katara turned to Liling and Zuko, nodding. "He's the one." It was decided.

The three teens left the marketplace then, making sure to keep at a distance from Yon Rha because they didn't want to reveal themselves and give away their positions. However, years of being trained by the Fire Nation navy had yet to wear off because it wasn't long before Yon Rha whirled around and demanded, "Hello? Is someone there?" When no one responds, he frowns and walks on.

"That was definitely the monster." Katara murmurs, her eyes full of hate.

Yon Rha suddenly turns around again and shouts, "Nobody sneaks up on me without being burned." He drops his basket, turns and firebends, scorching the nearest bush.

Having accomplished that, he loosens his stance and stoops to begin picking up his fallen groceries. However, as he proceeds home, his legs get caught on a trip wire and he falls down, face first into a puddle of water. Fire shoots towards him and Yon Rha quickly moves backward. He looks up to see Zuko and Liling, each in a firebending stance.

"We weren't behind the bush," Zuko informed her curtly.

"And I wouldn't try firebending again," Liling added, taking a step closer to him.

Shielding his face from his pitiful position on the ground, Yon Rha pleaded, "Whoever you are, take my money. Take whatever you want, I'll cooperate."

Katara crouches down in front of him and pulls down her mask. "Do you know who I am?" she asks, looking him straight in the eye.

"No, I'm not sure," he responds, eyes widening in fear because he knows that's not what Katara wants to hear.

"Oh, you better remember me like your life depends on it!" Katara roars, shoving her face into his. "Why don't you take a closer look."

His eyes switching from fear to recognition, he replies, "Yes, yes. I remember you now. You're the little Water Tribe girl." He gulped fearfully then, knowing who and for what purpose Katara was there.

"She lied to you. She was protecting the last waterbender." Katara hissed, referring to her Mother.

"What? Who?" Yon Rha asks, surprise coloring his tone.

" _Me!_ " Katara shouts in full, unbridled rage, furious as to how he still hadn't grasped that concept. Katara brings out her arms. Raindrops get suspended in the air immediately. A dome of water forms over them, stilling the rain and proving that she was indeed a waterbender. Katara moves her arms around and the water gets bent in a huge blob and she lets out a battle cry as she directs the water towards Yon Rha, the water turning into ice spikes.

Yon Rha shields himself with his arms and lets out a cowering noise, afraid for his life. However, when the shredding doesn't come, he slowly removes his arms from his face and opens his eyes. A couple of ice spikes puncture the ground beside him but the ones aimed at his face are hovering a few inches in front of him. Kneeling, he admits, "I did a bad thing. I know I did and you deserve revenge. So why don't you take my Mother? That would be fair."

"I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing. But now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you. Nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty." Katara says almost sympathetically, walking forward.

"Please spare me." Yon Rha pleads, ignoring the insults if she would only let him live.

"But as much as I hate you. . . I just can't do it." Katara whispers, shutting her eyes as they shimmer with unshed tears and walking away.

Yon Rha cowers and smiles weakly on the spot and lowers his head in shame as Zuko and Liling walk past him, each of them staring coolly at him in turn.

* * *

After their encounter with Yon Rha, the trio flew back to Ember Island where their friends were eagerly awaiting their arrival. "Katara! Are you okay?" Aang inquired, leaping over to her.

"I'm doing fine," Katara replied. While she no longer hurt as much because she had gotten closure somewhat, it still hurt her to realize that she would never see her Mother again.

"Liling and Zuko told me what you did. Or. . . what you didn't do, I guess. I'm proud of you." Aang told her, smiling and sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

Closing her eyes, Katara admitted, "I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at him but, I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or if it's because I'm strong enough not to."

"You did the right thing." Aang began, reassuring her. "Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing."

Katara gets up and walks towards Aang. "But I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him." She turns to Zuko and Liling, her face softening. "But I am ready to forgive you both for what you've done to us in the past." Katara throws herself into Liling's arms in a hug. They part after a while and she lays a hand on Zuko's shoulder in a gesture of thanks before walking off.

After watching Katara walk off, Zuko walks over to Aang and says, "You were right about what Katara needed. Violence wasn't the answer."

"It never is." Aang points out with a smile.

"Then I have a question for you." he begins, turning towards Aang. "What are you going to do when you face my Father?"

The question remained unanswered as they went back to the rest of the group.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52: Ember Island Players**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

After Zuko and Liling had taken several field trips with their friends, it was nice to take a break and resume their firebending training with Aang. The three were currently in the courtyard of the royal family's beach house. The trio were firebending towards a derelict fountain and taking a step back. In sync, they take a step forward and throw their arms down, firebending at the same time. They stretch out their right leg in front of them, firebending again. They proceed to stretch it behind them and they push out their left arm out in a "Superman" pose as they firebend with that arm. They put their legs down and exhale audibly, putting their arms in a cooling down position and bowing to each other. Zuko cracks his fingers and stretches both arms above his head and walks to the edge of the courtyard as Liling readjusts her hair, tightening the band that was holding it up.

"Doesn't it seem kinda weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara asked, having spectated the firebending practice.

"I told you, my Father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy. And that was a long time ago. This is the last place anyone would think to look for us." Zuko reassured her, reaching for a towel.

Suddenly Sokka and Suki come running onto the courtyard. "You guys are not going to believe this. There's a play about us."

"We were just in town and we found this poster," Suki adds, reaffirming the comment.

Sokka unveils the poster for them all to see.

Getting a closer look at the poster, Liling splutters, "What? How is that possible?"

"Listen to this," Sokka instructs, flipping to the back of the poster. "The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu On Tim who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources including singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage. Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players." He then lets go of the scroll's bottom and it curls back into itself.

"Ugh. My Mother used to take us to see them. They butchered "Love Amongst The Dragons" every year." Zuko says with obvious disgust.

"You can say that again. They have zero talent." Liling added, crossing her arms with patent distaste towards both the play and its writers.

"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?" Katara asked nervously. The whole idea seemed sketchy.

"Come on, a day at the theatre? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing." Sokka whines, grinning widely.

* * *

It had taken much convincing, but Sokka had finally persuaded the Gaang to watch the play. With hoods drawn to protect their faces, they piled into the seats farthest in the back. Toph and Katara take their seats at the front of the box, leaving two seats to Katara's left, and four above them. Zuko walks in the opposite direction wearing a hooded cloak and sits beside Katara as Aang confidently tries to sit next to her.

Sheepishly rubbing his neck, Aang sputters, "Hey, uh. . . I wanted to sit there." He points to where Zuko is currently sitting.

"Just sit somewhere else, what's the big deal?" Zuko snaps irritably, adjusting his hood so that it covered more of his face.

"I was just. . . I wanted to. . . Okay." he goes to sit beside Sokka as Liling takes the last empty seat beside Zuko

"Why are we sitting in the nosebleed section? My feet can't see a thing from up here." Toph complained, wiggling her toes.

Placing a hand on Toph's knee, Katara promises, "Don't worry, I'll tell your feet what's happening."

With that, the play begins. The curtain is drawn up to reveal a prop of a canoe surrounded by moving set decorations of water. The backdrop is a crude painting of icebergs. The Katara and Sokka actors are rowing the canoe with their oars.

"Sokka, my only brother. We constantly roam these icy South Pole seas and yet never do we find anything fulfilling." the Katara actress sighs in a preachy voice.

"All I want is a full feeling in my stomach, I'm starving!" the Sokka actor replies in a nasally voice.

The audience near the stage as they laugh heartily while the Water Tribe siblings and their friends freeze, staring in disbelief at the stage.

Crossing her arms, Katara's actress huffs, "Is food the only thing on your mind?"

"Well, I'm trying to get it out of my mind and into my mouth. I'm starving." Sokka's actor replies, rubbing his belly to emphasize his point.

"This is pathetic. My jokes are way funnier than this." Sokka whispers in outrage, throwing his arms towards the rubbish occurring on stage.

"I think he's got you pegged," Toph replies, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Everyday, the World awaits a beacon to guide us, yet none appears. Still, we cannot give up hope." Katara's actress places her hand on her chest in a melodramatic way. "For hope is all we have and we must never relinquish it. Even. . . even to our dying breath." she sniffles and pretends to cry by the end of the speech.

Crossing her arms, Katara scoffs, "Well, that's just silly. I don't sound like that."

Clutching her stomach with glee, Toph cries, "Oh man, this writer's a genius."

As the Sokka and Katara actors approach a mock iceberg, the Katara actress observes, "It appears to be someone frozen in ice. Perhaps for a hundred years."

"But who? Who is the boy in the iceberg?" the Sokka actor ponders, placing a hand to his chin in wonder.

Climbing onto the prop, the actress playing Katara shouts, "Waterbend, hai-ya!" She performs a chopping motion and the Aang cut out is pulled down. Cracks appear on the iceberg and it opens with the interior smoking. The actors look at each other in mock surprise. A lady dressed as Aang jumps out of the smoke, winks, and poses.

"Who are you, frozen boy?" the Katara actress inquires.

"I'm the Avatar, silly. Here to spread joy and fun," she replies, balancing on one leg.

In disbelief, Aang inquires, "Wait, is that a woman playing me?"

"An airbender. My heart is so full of hope that it's making me tearbend." the actress playing Katara reverently gasps, falling to her knees, mock sobbing.

"My stomach is so empty that it's making me tearbend." The actor playing Sokka drops to his knees and grabs actress Aang's other leg and sobs. "I need meat."


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53: The Truth Hurts**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

The actress playing Aang kneels down and places an arm around actor Sokka's shoulder and points to the ceiling above the audience. "But wait. Is that a platter of meaty dumplings?"

"Where? Where?" actor Sokka cries, looking around hungrily.

Giggling uncontrollably, actress Aang asks, "Did I mention that I'm an incurable prankster?"

"I don't do that. That's not what I'm like! And. . . I'm not a woman!" the real Aang shouts in an irritated tone.

"Oh, they nailed you, Twinkle Toes." Toph contradicts, tears pouring out of her eyes.

As Aang slumps in his seat, the actors playing Zuko, Iroh, and Liling make an appearance.

"Prince Zuko, you must try this cake." the actor playing Iroh implores, stuffing his face.

Whirling around, the actor playing Zuko haughtily yells, "I don't have time to stuff my face. I have honor to regain!"

"Honor, honor, honor," Liling huffs as she wraps her arm around Zuko's shoulders. "That's all you ever talk about, Zuko. Take a break. Just relax, man." At the word 'man', she waves her arm loosely through the air before dragging her finger through the frosting of the cake. After doing so, she offered some to Zuko. Upon seeing his glare she shrugs before licking off her finger.

Furiously, Zuko yells at them, "I must capture the Avatar to regain my honor!"

"Well, while you do that, maybe I'll capture a slice." the actor playing Iroh remarks as he and actress Liling walk off.

"You sicken me." Zuko's actor snaps, looking through a telescope.

"They make me totally stiff and humorless." Zuko whines from the stands.

"Are you kidding me? I'm not even close to being accurately portrayed. At least your actor's pretty spot on." Liling groans as she hides her face in her hands.

"How could you say that?" Zuko asks, hurt entering his tone.

Suddenly the actor playing Iroh appears again and suggests, "Let's forget about the Avatar and get massages."

Turning back to actor Iroh, outraged, actor Zuko shouts, "How could you say that?" mimicking what Zuko had just shouted at Liling.

Zuko slumps frustratedly in his seat and crosses his arms, grumbling, "All your actor did was eat some frosting," before scowling back at the play.

A backdrop of the Southern Air Temple is revealed as the Aang actress looks around. A tail sticks out from a nearby bush prop. She spots the tail and says, "Hey look, I think I found something." She yanks out a puppet of Momo and adds, "It's a flying rabbit monkey. I think I'll name him, Momo."

"Hi, everybody. I love you." the puppet coos.

The audience laughs as Aang sighs with disgust and places two fingers on his temple, massaging them as the scene changes.

An actress Suki appears, peeking out from behind a fan. Actor Sokka walks back onto the stage, sticking his rear end out as he does so. "Does this dress make my butt look fat?" he inquires, pointing to his bottom as Suki giggles while Sokka blushes.

A backdrop of Omashu drops down as actor Bumi in a bodysuit pops onto the stage. "Riddles and challenges must you face if you are ever to leave this place." Actor Bumi laughs hysterically.

A pirate ship replaces to the Omashu backdrop. The leading characters stand at the center of the stage. Three pirates armed with prop weapons appear, running directly towards them. Three more pirates appear on the other side of the stage, closing in on the trio of actors. All three of them squat down as the pirates ambush them. The trio slides out from underneath a pirate's skirt as the six pirates fight and slowly move offstage.

"Why did you have to steal that waterbending scroll?" actor Sokka accused, glaring at actress Katara.

"It just gave me so much hope!" actress Katara sobbed melodramatically.

The next scene begins, showing actress Aang being tied to a raised dragon platform with Fire Nation guards at the bottom.

"The Avatar is mine!" actor Zuko cries victoriously, before seeing someone approach from behind. "Wait, who's coming?"

"I am the Blue Spirit. The scourge of the Fire Nation here to save the Avatar." the overdramatized Blue Spirit shouts, clanging his sword props against each other. Actor Blue Spirit appears on stage and waves his swords about. The guards behind him fall to the ground, defeated. Actor Zuko runs behind the dragon platform. Actor Blue Spirit continues walking on and waves his swords about and the remaining guards drop down. Actor Zuko appears from the other side of the platform and throws a red streamer symbolizing firebending at the Blue Spirit's feet and the Blue Spirit jumps to avoid the streamer. The Blue Spirit thrusts out his sword as actor Zuko runs offstage.

"My hero." actress Aang coos. She jumps off the platform and sits on top of the tiki mask and the Blue Spirit walks offstage

The stagehand turns a wheel, changing the backdrop to the Freedom Fighter's hideout as actress Katara and actor Jet with a rose in his mouth and a heavily exaggerated anime-like hair are lowered onto the stage by on a platform. Actress Katara mock sobs out loud.

"Don't cry, baby. Jet will wipe out that nasty town for you." actor Jet cries, pointing down towards the town.

In a sultry voice, actress Katara says, "Oh Jet, you're so bad."

Toph giggles while Katara holds her head in embarrassment at the latest scene.

The main trio of actors is revealed flying on an Appa prop.

"Look," the Aang actress shouts enthusiastically, pointing downward, "it's The Great Divide. The biggest canyon in the Earth Kingdom."

Actor Sokka waves his hand dismissively before saying, "Meh. Let's keep flying."

The stage changes to one of the Northern Water Tribe. A stagehand releases large, ornate paper snowflakes down onto the Sokka and Yue actors below.

"Don't go, Yue. You're the only woman who's ever taken my mind off of food." The two kiss then. Actor Sokka gags and sticks his tongue out suddenly. "Wait, did you have pickled fish for dinner?"

"Goodbye, Sokka." She rises slowly as their hands part. "I have important Moon duties to take care of. And yes, I did have pickled fish."

Actor Sokka raises his arms up to the departing Yue. The real Sokka has tears in his eyes and his hands are on his chin.

"You never told me you made out with the Moon Spirit," Suki whispers, nudging him.

Sokka absentmindedly places a finger on Suki's lips, silencing her. "Shh. I'm trying to watch." He lets the tears flow freely as Suki crosses her arms, annoyed.

Cutouts of Fire Nation boats are being dragged across the stage. A foot kicks the cutouts aside. Actress Aang is in a mock costume of the Ocean Spirit, tearing apart a doll that resembles Zhao. "The Avatar is back to save the day! Yay!" She jumps and crushes the cut out as she lands. She proceeds to kick another ship cut out offstage. She stomps around and destroys the remaining cut outs as she falls flat on her stomach due to the weight of the costume. The curtain is lowered.

Toph and the rest of the audience applaud and cheer. Katara stares bewildered at the closing scene. Aang groans and throws his entire body forward. Zuko brings the hood up on his head. Liling shrinks into her seat, still embarrassed at her portrayal. Sokka brings his palm to his face, visibly displeased. They all get up and leave, deciding to wait outside for the intermission to end.

* * *

"So far, this intermission is the best part of the play," Zuko says, irritably crossing his arms.

Moving to lean against the railing beside her cousin, Liling huffs, "You can say that again. If I see one more scene where Iroh and I are represented as obese food mongers I'm going to put the 'ember' in the Ember Island Players."

"Apparently, the playwright thinks I'm an idiot who tells bad jokes about meat all the time," Sokka says bitterly, all the while digging through a small bag of food and taking out a meat strip before heartily consuming it.

"Yeah, you tell bad jokes about plenty of other topics," Suki says, poorly concealing her laughter.

Sokka swallows before replying, "I know!" He angrily takes another bite.

"At least this Sokka actor kinda looks like you. That woman playing the Avatar doesn't resemble me at all." Aang whined, holding his arms out for emphasis.

"I don't know, you are more in touch with your feminine side than most guys," Toph says with a grin as Aang storms off, annoyed.

"Relax, Aang. They're not accurate portrayals. It's not like I'm a preachy crybaby who can't resist giving overly emotional speeches about hope all the time." Katara points out, placing a hand on her chest.

Having been consoled, Aang sits down. "Yeah. That's not you at all."

Shaking her head, Toph says, "Listen, friends. It's obvious that the playwright did his research. I know it must hurt but what you're seeing up there on that stage is the truth."

"You're just saying that because you haven't seen how you're betrayed yet." Sokka points out, checking the time. "Now that the intermission is over, we'll see just how you can handle the truth." With that, he angrily shoves another meat strip in his mouth.


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54: Honor Restored**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Well, here we are in the Earth Kingdom." actress Katara says, denoting to the latest backdrop, which was a perfect depiction of Ba Sing Se.

"I better have a look around to see if I can find an earthbending teacher." actress Aang says, opening her glider and pretending to fly around.

"This is it! This must be where I come in." Toph squeals excitedly from her seat.

'Flying' back over to actors Katara and Sokka, actress Aang mournfully discerns, "I flew all over town but I couldn't find a single earthbending master."

Toph is on the edge of her seat. "Here it comes."

A huge, muscley man pops out of the ground in attire similar to Toph's. "You can't find an earthbending master in the sky, you have to look underground." He throws the rock prop over the leading trio's heads.

"Who are you?" actress Aang inquires.

Flexing his muscles, actor Toph introduces himself. "My name's Toph because it sounds like tough. And that's just what I am."

"Wait a minute, I sound like. . . a guy. A really buff guy." Toph says, pleasantly surprised.

"Well Toph, what you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn't it?" Katara asks, mockingly concerned.

Toph, however, is the opposite of upset; she is grinning from ear to ear. "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have cast it any other way. At least it's not a flying bald lady."

Surprised, actress Aang asks, "So, you're blind?" She furiously waves her hands in front of actor Toph's face as though to test this theory.

Laughing deeply, actor Toph explains, "I can see you doing that. I see everything that you see except that I don't see like you do. I release a sonic wave from my mouth." He turns towards the leading trio and screams. After a moment, he stops and says, "There. I got a pretty good look at you."

As the audience applauds, the backdrop changes to a shadowy form and a bridge is rolled onto the stage. Standing on it is the actors for Zuko, Iroh, and Liling.

Actress Liling walks over to him and says, "Zuko, it's time we had a talk."

"About your hair. It's gone too far." actor Iroh clarifies.

Turning away from them and shaking his luscious locks, actor Zuko replies, "Maybe it's best if we. . . split up." He turns and walks away.

The backdrop changes to a dusty town where they Gaang had encountered Azula for the first time.

"Azula! My sister. What are you doing here?" actor Zuko shouts, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"You caught me. Wait. What's that? I think it's your honor." Azula cries, pointing in the opposite direction.

"Where?" Zuko shouts, looking at where Azula is pointing. As everyone turns to look, Azula escapes.

Upon turning around to see an empty corner, actress Liling asks, "She escaped. But how?"

The stagehand sits on a stool in the dark turning a contraption above him. The sheets around him move as he does so. He is manipulating a drill prop, drilling through a prop wall supported by the black clad stagehands. Actress Azula stands on top of the drill while actress Aang stands on top of the wall.

Looking down at the mock drill, actress Aang observes, "If she continues drilling, this wall will come down for sure."

"Haha, yes! Continue drilling. The city of Ba Sing Se can't hide any longer." actress Azula shouts victoriously, clenching her fists in victory. The drill continues penetrating the wall. Actress Aang continues to throw rocks provided by the stagehand. One of the rocks hits actress Azula but she blocks it.

Suddenly the backdrop is changed to an eerie, greenish black setting. Actor Jet comes onto the stage, slashing his hook sword arm prop as he does so. He is wearing a pair of crazy eyeglasses as the tiny black beads representing his pupil's swirl around to show that he has gone insane. Actor Jet twirls around on the spot, swinging his arms around.

"No, Jet!" actress Aang shouts as actor Jet begins crouching like a primate. "What did they do to you?"

"Must," he swipes his hook sword arm towards actress Aang unsteadily, "Serve. Earth King!" He turns and swipes Sokka who ducks out of the way just in time. "Must. . . destroy!"

A stagehand drops down a rock prop onto actor Jet who makes various agonizing noises. He swings around violently and grabs his head as if he is having a fit. The rock prop slowly floats into the stage. Actor Jet crawls on his knees to ensure that he is underneath the rock prop as it lands. The prop falls on him, covering the upper part of his body but his legs pop out from under the rock. Actor Jet brings his legs into the prop.

"Did Jet just. . . die?" Zuko trailed off, confused as to whether or not he had indeed died.

"You know, it was really unclear," Sokka replied, scratching his chin.

The backdrop changes to the crystal catacombs of Ba Sing Se.

"I have to admit, Prince Zuko. I really find you attractive." actress Katara purrs.

"You don't have to make fun of me." Zuko harshly screams at her.

"But I mean it." She proceeds to sit down beside actor Zuko. "I had eyes for you since the day you first captured me."

Actor Zuko's brow furrows in confusion. "Wait. I thought you were the Avatar's girl."

Actress Katara laughs. "The Avatar?" She stands up and walks towards actor Zuko. "Why, he's like a little brother to me. I certainly don't think of him in a romantic way. Besides, how could he ever find out about this." The actors hold each others' hands in an embrace.

At the sight, Aang jumps up in fury.

"Oh, you're getting up? Can you get me some fire flakes? Oh and fire gummies." Sokka whispers. He lays his arm on Suki's shoulder as he finishes.

By the time Aang leaves, the scene shifts from Katara and Zuko to Azula, Zuko, Iroh, and Liling.

"Well, my brother. What's it going to be? Your nation or a life of treachery?" actress Azula asks impatiently.

"Choose treachery, it's more fun." actor Iroh says, giving actor Zuko a thumbs up and wrapping an arm around actress Liling.

"No way!" actress Azula shrieks as actress Liling passes out.

Actor Zuko shoves actor Iroh. He drops his bowl of beverage and lands on his back like an upturned turtle. Actor Zuko walks towards actress Azula.

"I hate you, Uncle. You smell and I hate you for all time."

The "Fire siblings" drag actress Liling with them as they walk offstage as the Earth Kingdom banner falls on top of actor Iroh.

Katara covers her mouth in shock before asking, "You didn't really say that, did you?"

"I might as well have," Zuko says softly, turning his head away. Liling places a consoling hand on his knee.

Back on stage, actress Aang appears from behind the Earth Kingdom throne and somersaults to the center of the stage. "Avatar State, yip-yip!" The lights on stage dim and her arrow glow in the dark. She closes her eyes and her eye shadow glow to show that the real Aang's tattoos and eyes glow in the Avatar State. A black clad stagehand secures a rope behind her and she gets lifted into the air.

Actress Azula jumps out from the smoke on the floor into the air. "Not if my lightning can't help it!" she shouts, throwing a blue ribbon at actress Aang, mimicking lightning bending.

Actress Aang opens her eyes slightly to catch the blue cloth. The cloth wobbles and shakes as actress Aang pretends to go into spasms. Actress Azula shakes the clothing as she gets lowered to the stage. Actress Aang lets go of the cloth and the rope lowers her to the floor. Actress Aang's hunched body reaches the floor.

"The Avatar is no more!" actress Azula triumphantly calls.

The audience cheers loudly, immensely enjoying what they just saw. Sokka appears offended, Toph leans against the railing, Katara crosses her arms and shakes her head, Liling shuts her eyes and mournfully shakes her head and Zuko brings his hand to his face, not wanting to be reminded of that day.

* * *

During the second intermission, the group goes outside the theater.

"It seems like every time there's a big battle you guys barely make it out alive. I mean, you guys lose a lot." Suki points out.

"You're one to talk, Suki. Didn't Azula take you captive? That's right, she did." Sokka throws back, offended.

"Are you trying to get on my bad side?" Suki demands, clenching her fists.

Matter-of-factly, Sokka replies, "I'm just saying."

"Does anyone know where Aang is?" Katara inquires suddenly.

"He left to get me fire gummies like, ten minutes ago," Sokka explains, leaning against the wall and folding his arms impatiently. "And I'm still waiting," he adds impatiently.

Turning around, Katara says, "I'm going to check outside."

"Jeez. Everyone's getting so upset about their characters. Even you seem more down than usual and that's saying something." Toph says, scooting closer to Zuko.

"You don't get it. It's different for you. You get a muscley version of yourself taking down ten bad guys at once and making sassy remarks." Zuko points out with a frown.

Cracking a grin, Toph replies, "Yeah, that's pretty great."

His face full of regret, Zuko continues, "But for me, it takes all the mistakes I've made in my life and shoves them back in my face. My Uncle. He's always been on my side even when things were bad. He was there for me. He taught me so much and how do I repay him? With a knife in his back. It's my greatest regret and I may never get to redeem myself."

"You have redeemed yourself to your Uncle. You don't realize it but you already have." Toph explains softly.

"How do you know?" Zuko asks, allowing his eyes to finally meet hers.

"Because I once had a long conversation with the guy, and Liling too, and all either of them would talk about was you," she explains.

Lowering his hood and smiling, Zuko asks, "Really?"

Scrunching her nose, Toph replies, "Yeah, and it was kind of annoying."

"Oh, sorry," Zuko says, slouching again.

"But it was also very sweet. All your Uncle wanted was for you to find your own path and see the light. Now you're here with us. He'd be proud." Toph proceeds to give him a punch on the shoulder.

"Ow." Zuko whines, massaging his arm. "What was that for?"

Smiling, Toph replies, "That's how I show affection."

"You know she's right," Liling said suddenly, sliding down the wall so that she was sitting beside Zuko. "That Iroh would be proud of you, I mean. He is proud of you, Zuko, and has never stopped loving you. I know it's not the same, hearing it from me rather than him, but take it from his daughter when I say that you've definitely restored your honor in his eyes."

Zuko smiles at her then, grateful for her attempt to make him feel less guilty. Wordlessly, the two joined Toph as they went back inside the theater, the intermission is over.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55: It's Over, Isn't It?**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

As Aang sat down, Sokka turned to him and explained all that he had missed when he stepped out. "Here's what you missed. We went to the Fire Nation and you got better and Katara was the Painted Lady and I got a sword and I think Combustion Man died. Oh look, The Invasion's about to start. Shh."

Actresses Katara and Aang are standing on top of the submarine prop. "I just want to let you know Aang, that I'll always love you. Like a brother."

"I wouldn't want it any other way." actress Aang says happily.

They shake each other's hands and nod in a friendly gesture. Actress Aang unfolds her mini glider and the rope pulls her up. Actress Katara waves goodbye. After actress Aang flew off, actress Katara went into the submarine prop, joining actors Sokka and Toph.

"Hey, Toph, would you say you and Aang have a rocky relationship?" actor Sokka says, laughing at his own joke.

Sokka goes ballistic. "I told him to say that." he cries, laughing hysterically.

"I hope everyone's ready for The Invasion. Slop-A-Pow!" actor Sokka continues, thrusting his arms out.

As the audience laughs, two stagehands push the Fire Lord's throne to the center of the stage and run offstage as actress Katara and actors Toph and Sokka run on stage. Actress Aang gets lowered in front of the throne set decoration by a rope and the spotlight shines on her.

"We finally made it to the royal palace but no one's home," she observes dejectedly.

Actor Zuko and actress Liling walk onto the stage. "Actually, we're home and we want to join you."

"I guess we have no choice. Come on." actor Sokka says, gesturing for the two to follow him.

"I guess that's it." Sokka stands up and stretches. "The play's caught up to the present now."

"Wait." Suki stops him, tugging on her sleeve. "The play's not over."

"But it is over. Unless. . . This is the future."

Just as Sokka says this the stage turns pitch black and an evil looking actor Ozai walks out from the shadows with an eerie light illuminating his face. "With the energy harnessed from that comet, no one will be able to stop the Fire Nation!"

Actress Azula walks on stage and kneels. "Father, Zuko, and the Avatar are at the palace. They're trying to stop you."

'You take care of Zuko. I shall face the Avatar myself." actor Ozai instructs melodramatically. Actor Ozai raises his hands and he vanishes with a puff of smoke. Actress Azula stands up and moves to the center of the stage as actor Zuko enters from the left side of the stage while actress Aang is lowered to the stage on the right.

"Aang, you fight the Fire Lord, I'll hold her off." actor Zuko shouts.

"You are no longer my brother." actress Azula hisses, clenching her hands. "You are an enemy."

"No, I am the rightful heir to the throne!" actor Zuko retorts, pointing at his actress sister.

Smirking slyly, actress Azula taunts, "We'll see." She whips out her blue streamer and sends it towards actor Zuko. Actor Zuko takes out his own red streamer and dodges the blue one. He jumps over actress Azula's head, taking her spot while actress Azula runs towards actor Zuko's original spot. They throw their streamers towards each other. Actor Zuko throws out his two red streamers. Actress Azula ducks and jumps over actor Zuko, returning back to their original positions.

Actress Azula whips her streamers in arcs around her body and she stretches her palm out. Fake fire props made of paper pop up from the stage floor in front of her in increasing size towards actor Zuko. A huge fire prop comes up at actor Zuko's side, hiding him from the audience but his silhouette can still be seen. Actor Zuko raises his arms in pain. "Honor!" actor Zuko shouts as he crumbles to the floor.

On stage, fake fire props come out from the sides to the center. Actress Aang walks on stage, looking around carefully. Actor Ozai is sitting in the dark behind her. "So, you have mastered all four elements."

Pointing her staff towards actor Ozai, actress Aang remarks, "Yeah and now, you're going down."

"No, it is you who are going down. You see, you are too late. The comet is already here and I'm unstoppable." Actor Ozai whips his red streamers out towards actress Aang. He throws it towards actress Aang and she jumps away. The streamers hit the floor in a puff of smoke. White-blue flags pop up from both ends of her staff and she twirls the staff in arcs around her body. Actor Ozai twirls the streamers around his body in arcs as well. He throws the streamers out but actress Aang flies over him, twirling her staff along the way.

Both actors twirl their prop weapons and walk towards each other. Actor Ozai throws his streamer out while actress Aang ducks and attempts to swipe her staff as actor Ozai's legs. She jumps away from him and lands in a stance. Actor Ozai begins to shoot streamers from his sleeves.

Actress Aang lands on the other side of the stage. Actor Ozai thrusts his palms out. A large blast of fake fire is carried across the stage rapidly from behind actor Ozai, wrapping around actress Aang like a sushi roll as she drops her staff prop. A black-clad stagehand can be seen running offstage from behind the fake fire.

"Nooo. . ." actress Aang cries in despair, having been defeated. She falls offstage as the rope detaches from her back. Actor Ozai smiles victoriously as actress Azula walks towards him.

"It is over, Father. We've done it." she raises her arms in victory.

Punching his hand into the air melodramatically, actor Ozai cries, "Yes, we have done it! The dreams of my Father and my Father's Father have now been realized. The world is mine."

The audience proceeds to give him a standing ovation while the Gaang looks on speechlessly before getting up and leaving.

"That. . . wasn't a good play." Zuko remarks, leading the way out the theatre.

"It was the worst," Liling says in agreement.

"I'll say." Aang concurs.

Crossing her arms, Katara scoffed, "No kidding."

"Horrible." Suki commented in disapproval.

Nodding in approval, Toph added, "You said it."

"But the effects were decent." Sokka amends, waving his hand in a matter-of-fact manner.


	56. Chapter 56

**AN: I cannot believe all of the success this story has had! 200 reviews is amazing! Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, or favorited 'White Jasmine' so far. You are the reason I keep writing and it's amazing to see how many people genuinely like this fanfic.**

* * *

 **Chapter 56: A New Deadline**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Zuko, Liling and Aang were in the courtyard of the Fire Lord's beach house, practicing their firebending while everyone else spectated their practice. Aang proceeds to firebend arcs with his arms, right leg followed by his left leg. Then he firebends a flurry of small shots, circling rapidly with his arms.

"More ferocious!" Zuko shouts, frowning. While Aang had definitely made progress, he was clearly holding back. "Imagine striking through your opponent's heart."

Aang firebends another big shot of fire towards the edge of the courtyard and turns towards Zuko with his arms in a frustrated gesture. "Ugh! I'm trying," he complains.

"Now let me hear you roar like a tiger-dillo!" Zuko commands, waving off Aang's whimpering.

Aang turns back to Zuko instantly, stretches his arms and roars rather softly with weak streams of fire coming out from his palm and mouth. Aang grins sheepishly at his weak attempt.

"Maybe a little louder next time," Liling suggested encouragingly when Zuko interrupted.

"That sounded pathetic!" Zuko shouted, lashing out. "I said roar!"

Aang turns around, roars ferociously and firebends rather strongly out of both hands and his mouth. He then turns back to Zuko and Liling, holding out his hands as he awaited their response.

Zuko nods his head in approval while Liling lightly applauds.

"Who wants a nice, cool glass of watermelon juice?" Katara calls suddenly, interrupting their training.

"Oh, oh, me, me, me!" Aang cries, his eyes widening with greed as he runs towards the house.

"Hey," Zuko shouts, yanking Aang back by the shoulder, "your lesson's not over yet! Get back here." Zuko pulls him up effortlessly with Aang looking rather disappointed as he does so.

"Come on, Zuko. Let's just take a small break." Liling suggests after staring at the squirming Aang.

"Fine," Zuko mumbles, releasing Aang who quickly dashes off. "If you want to lounge around like a bunch of snail-sloths all day, then go ahead!" With that, he storms off.

Setting his watermelon aside, Sokka admits, "Maybe Zuko's right. Sitting around the house has made us pretty lazy. But I know just the thing to change that. Beach party!" He removes his outer coat, revealing a pair of brown undershorts underneath and dives excitedly out of the camera's view. Sokka surfaces with seaweed on his head and he blows water from his mouth, grinning goofily. Katara dives into the water with her brother then, bending some water to form an icy surfboard.

As the Katara and Sokka swim, the rest of the group set to making sand sculptures.

Placing a piece of wood as a horn into his sand sculpture of Appa, Aang whirls around and says proudly, "Check out my Appa sand sculpture."

"Not bad, baldy. But I've been working on my sandbending," Toph says, stretching and cracking her knuckles. "You're gonna love this." She moves her hands and sends clouds of sand dust everywhere. The dust clears to reveal a miniature replica of Ba Sing Se in the sand.

Aang walks towards it and kneels down, scrutinizing the details. "Whoa." He looks at the sand replica of Earth King Kuei and his bear, Bosco. "Wow, you even made a little Earth King and Bosco."

"Try and top that, Sokka." Toph taunts, smirking and crossing her arms just as Sokka finishes his sand sculpture.

"Ta-da!" He reveals his sand sculpture with seaweed for hair, stones for eyes, a red starfish for a nose, and some stones and seashells as a smile.

"Is that a blubbering, blob monster?" Liling asks, looking up from her sunbathing.

"No," Sokka snaps, stomping the ground defensively, "it's Suki."

Bursting into a fit of laughter, Toph says, "Suki, we'll all understand if you break up with him over this."

"I think it's sweet," Suki replies. Sokka runs and slides on his knees as he grabs Suki by her shoulders and kisses her on the cheek.

"But it doesn't even look like. . ." Aang stopped suddenly as a burst of fire hits the sand sculpture, sending waves of sand everywhere. Aang yells in surprise and shields himself from the impact. The dust clears and Aang looks up at the cliff to see Zuko running and jumping off the cliff, firebending at Aang at the same time. Aang narrowly misses the flames and jumps across Toph's sand sculpture. A ball of fire hits one of the sand houses, breaking it into a wave of sand instantly. Aang lands on the other side near his sand sculpture as he turns around and looks frightened. He then jumps over his sand sculpture.

Leaping to her feet, Liling ignited her hands and whirled around to find the attacker. Seeing that it was Zuko, she was shocked. "What are you doing?" she shouts at him.

"Yeah, Zuko what are you doing?" Aang yells as he forms an air scooter and jumps on it, increasing his speed.

Firebending at Aang again, he shouted, "Teaching you a lesson!" He firebends towards the Appa sculpture. Aang looks away before jumping away from the impact. The stream of fire cuts the Appa sculpture in half, destroying it into a pile of sand.

"Zuko you're going to hurt him!" Liling cautioned, rushing to his side.

"Not as bad as the Fire Lord is going to!" Zuko replied, firebending towards Aang. He misses as Aang jumps onto the cliff. Zuko firebends towards the cliff repeatedly as Aang struggles to run across the uneven surface. Zuko's last blast shatters the top part of the cliff into rubble. He then runs towards the cliff and proceeds to scale it.

Zuko firebends at him again but Aang jumps out of the way in time. The fire clears and Zuko is still chasing after Aang angrily. Aang runs to the top of a rock and jumps off before Zuko sends strong blasts of fire at the rock, disintegrating it into pieces. Aang grabs onto the top of a trunk of a nearby tree as Zuko jumps off the rock and somersaults to the bottom.

Landing on the sand with a roll, Zuko begins firebending at the top of the tree. Aang jumps away just as the tree catches fire. Aang lands on the beach house's roof, out of view. Zuko jumps onto the beach house's railings as he scales and flips his way to the roof. He pushes himself with his arm and lands in a stance.

"Get a grip before I blast you off this roof!" Aang shouts, beginning to generate a powerful breeze.

Smirking, Zuko shouts, "Go ahead and do it!" He then firebends with his fists and feet one after another. Aang slides down the roof as jets of fire sets the path he was on alight. Aang reaches the end of the roof and he grabs onto the edge as he swings himself into a nearby room through the window. He slides across the floor on his knees to hide behind a drawer. A huge blast of fire through the roof sends some debris into the room and Zuko lands. He gets into a stance and looks around the room warily. Aang then kicks the drawer towards Zuko. He blocks it by disintegrating the drawer into pieces with a firebending punch.

Aang runs out from the room followed shortly by Zuko. Zuko firebends huge whips and arcs of flame around himself, sending the tunnel of fire towards Aang. Aang runs away desperately and looks back to find himself being slowly engulfed by the fire. He airbends the fire away, creating a safe space for him to land on without getting burnt.

"Enough!" he shouts furiously. He airbends a huge tunnel of air towards Zuko, extinguishing the flames at the same time. Zuko yells in surprise as he gets pushed back by the strong air pressure. The side of the house gets ripped open by the visible tunnel of wind, throwing out some wooden debris along with Zuko. Zuko lands on the grass and attempts to stand up, grabbing his head and moaning slightly.

"What's wrong with you? You could have hurt Aang." Katara shouts, placing her hands on her hips.

Standing up and throwing his arms out in anger he shouts, "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with all of you! How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin's Comet is only three days away? Why are you all looking at me like I'm crazy?"

"About Sozin's Comet. . ." Aang takes a step forward before continuing, "I was actually going to wait to fight the Fire Lord until after it came."

Liling blinks in confusion. "After?"

Looking down, Aang replies, "I'm not ready. I need more time to master firebending."

Picking at her nails, Toph airily adds, "And frankly, your earthbending could still use some work too."

Rubbing her temples, Liling asks, "So. . . You all knew Aang was going to wait?"

"Honestly, if Aang tries to fight the Fire Lord right now, he's gonna lose. No offense." Sokka adds, giving Aang a half-hearted apologetic look.

"The whole point of fighting the Fire Lord before the comet was to stop the Fire Nation from winning the war. But they pretty much won the war when they took Ba Sing Se. Things can't get any worse." Katara explained, dropping her head in worry.

"You're wrong," Liling says slowly, turning her head away. "It's about to get worse than you can even imagine." Everyone eyed Liling with confusion then.

With a shaky breath, Zuko explained, "The day before the eclipse, my Father asked both Liling and me to attend an important war meeting. It was what I dreamed about and wanted for so many years. My Father had finally accepted me back. I wanted to speak out against this horrifying plan to destroy the Earth Kingdom. But I'm ashamed to say I didn't. My whole life I struggled to gain my Father's love and acceptance. But once I had it, I realized I lost myself getting there. I had forgotten who I was."

Once Zuko finishes, Katara drops down to the ground on her knees. Sokka grabs Suki by the shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

"I can't believe this." Katara breathes, shaking her head.

"I always knew that the Fire Lord was a bad guy but his plan is just pure evil," Sokka says as Suki shakes her head.

"What am I going to do?" Aang cries, terrified at the news.

Walking towards him, Liling put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We know you're scared. And we know that you're not ready to save the World."

"But if you don't defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, there won't be a World to save anymore," Zuko added, joining them.

Aang stood in silence for a moment before asking, "Why didn't you tell me about your Dad's crazy plan sooner?"

"I didn't think I had to. I assumed that you were still going to fight him before the comet. No one told me you decided to wait!" Zuko cried, defending himself.

"This is bad. This is really, really bad." Aang whispers, gripping his head in despair.

"Aang, you don't have to do this alone," Katara promised, walking over to him.

Joining Katara at his side, Toph added, "Yeah. If we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down."

"Alright!" Sokka exclaims, raising his arm enthusiastically. "Team Avatar is back! Air. Water. Earth. Fire. Fan and sword!"

Smiling, Aang admits, "Fighting the Fire Lord is going to be the hardest thing we've ever done together. But I wouldn't want to do it any other way."

At this, everyone smiles and gathers around Aang, joining in on a group hug.

"Yeah," Toph says with a smile.

"Alright." Sokka encouragingly adds.

Looking over her shoulder, Katara noticed that neither Zuko nor Liling had joined in on the group hug and were both awkwardly standing off to the side. "Get over here, you two. Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs."

Zuko and Liling exchange nervous glances before fitting into the opening created by Toph and Suki. Once the two had properly joined, the hug recommenced.


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57: Sacrifice**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

Given that Aang had to face the Fire Lord before Sozin's comet rather than after, he immediately fell back into training with Liling and Zuko.

"There's one technique you need to know before facing my Uncle. How to redirect lightning. If you let the energy in your own body flow," Liling instructs, stretching her left arm out and the fingers on her right-hand touch the fingers on her left before tracing a path down her arm, through her stomach, and back out the other side, "the lightning will follow it. You turn your opponent's energy against them."

"That's like waterbending," Aang observed.

Smiling, Liling replied, "Exactly. Iroh, my Father, invented this technique himself by studying waterbenders."

"So. . . Have either of you ever redirected lightning before?" Aang inquired, copying the move Liling had just shown him.

"Once. Against my Father." Zuko replied solemnly.

"Many times when practicing with Iroh. In real combat, however, I've only ever had to use it against Azula." Liling added, not enjoying being reminded of how unstable and crazy her cousin had become.

"What did it feel like?" Aang asked, stopping mid-motion and looking directly at his firebending teachers.

Stopping her motion as well, Liling replies, "Exhilarating, but terrifying. You feel so powerful holding that much energy in your body. But you know that if you make the wrong move, it's over."

"Heh. Well, not over-over, right I mean there's always Katara and a little spirit water action. . . Am I right?" Aang inquires nervously before turning towards Katara.

"Actually I used it all up after Azula shot you," Katara replies matter-of-factly.

"Oh," Aang says dejectedly.

"You'll have to take the Fire Lord's life. Before he takes yours." Zuko says in a serious tone.

Half-heartedly Aang replies, "Yeah. . . I'll just do that."

* * *

"Gather round Team Avatar." Sokka instructs, cutting a watermelon to resemble a jack-o-lantern before dropping it onto a wooden structure with a red cloth draped over it. "In order to take out the Fire Lord, or in this case, the "Melon Lord", our timing has to be perfect. First, Suki and I will draw his fire. Then, Katara, Liling, and Zuko charge in with some liquidy hot offense and while the "Melon Lord" is distracted, Aang swoops in and "BAM!" He delivers the final blow."

"Err. . . what about me?" Toph asks, offended that she had not been included in the plans.

"For now, you're the Melon Lord's forces," Sokka states matter-of-factly.

Considering this, Toph inquires, "So I get to chuck flaming rocks at all of you?"

Shrugging, Sokka replies, "Whatever makes the training feel more realistic."

Toph's face broke into a huge grin. "Sweetness."

After that, everyone dispersed, preparing themselves for the oncoming practice.

"Muahahahahahaha!" Toph chortles. She is surrounded by a ring of huge boulders and a ring of fire in bowls sits outside the boulders.

Liling, Zuko, and Katara are hiding behind some rocks, looking at Toph. Zuko turns his head. Aang appears out from behind another hiding spot with Momo in tow. Suki and Sokka peer out of their own hiding places; Sokka is wearing his Water Tribe wolf armor. After checking to make sure everyone understood the plan, Sokka signals for the practice to start.

Sokka, Suki, Zuko, Liling, and Katara all make their way towards Toph except for Aang who stays put.

Sokka and Suki run before the ground shakes and pops up an army of Fire Nation soldiers made of rock charging at them. Sokka cuts the rock in half while Suki jumps into the air as she spins and delivers a kick to another rock soldier, knocking it down. They continue to run before flaming boulders begin raining down on them. Suki simply cartwheels over them. Sokka is knocked to the ground. From his pitiful spot lying on the ground with his face mere inches away from being crushed, he shouts, "Watch it, Toph!"

Clearly enjoying herself she replies, "I am not Toph, I am "Melon Lord"! Muahahahahaha!" She earthbends a rock over the bowl of fire and it gets ignited immediately and she sends it towards Zuko and Liling who easily dodge it. Liling, Zuko, and Katara run as a ring of rock soldiers surround a combination of fire, water, and lightning, they blast the rocks to bits.

Once a path has been cleared and most of the Fire Nation rock imitations had been destroyed, Sokka calls, "Now, Aang!"

Aang propels himself from the rock with his arms holding his staff in a ready to strike position. His serious expression softens as he descends. Aang lands and brings his staff over his head but doesn't deliver the final blow. The staff pauses inches away from the watermelon head. He looks at the scarecrow before slouching and pulling his staff back.

"What are you waiting for? Take him out!" Zuko orders, blasting aside another rock.

Lowering his head in shame, Aang replies, "I can't."

Running over to him, Sokka shouts, "What's wrong with you? If this was the real deal, you'd be shot full of lightning right now."

Looking up at him then, Aang whispers apologetically, "I'm sorry, but it just didn't feel right. I didn't feel like myself."

Sokka unsheathes his sword before 'beheading' the watermelon. "There. That's how it's done."

Aang lowers his head, cringing in disgust at the sight.

* * *

Dinner that night was an incredibly somber affair. No one was willing to talk after Aang had failed to stop an evil watermelon when he was tasked with stopping the Fire Lord, a much worse opponent.

Interrupting the silence, Katara calls, "I have a surprise for everyone!"

Holding her chopsticks in her bowl of rice Toph cries, "I knew it! You did have a secret thing with Haru!"

"Er, no. I was looking for cooking pots in the attic and I found this. Look at baby Zuko! Isn't he cute?" she asks, unfurling a scroll to reveal baby Zuko enjoying the beach. Katara coos as everyone gushes and laughs except Zuko and Liling. Upon seeing Zuko's frown she adds, "Oh lighten up, I was just teasing."

Opening her eyes, Liling whispers, "That's not Zuko."

Clarifying, Zuko informs them, "It's my Father." Katara freezes before rapidly rolling up the scroll.

"But he looked so sweet and innocent," Suki argued, pointing at the scroll.

"Well, that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster. And the worst Father in the history of Fathers." Zuko mumbled.

"But he is still a human being." Aang points out as everyone looks at him in surprise.

"You're going to defend him?" Zuko roared angrily, clenching his fists.

Shaking his head, Aang replied, "No, I agree with you. Fire Lord Ozai is a horrible person and the World will probably be better off without him. There's gotta be another way."

"Like what?" Liling inquires, frowning slightly.

Shrugging, Aang suggested, "I don't know. Maybe we can make some big pots of glue and then I can use glue binding to stick his arms and legs together so he can't bend anymore."

Sneering at him, Zuko sarcastically snapped, "Yeah. Then you can show him his baby pictures and all those happy memories will make him good again."

"Do you really think that would work?" Aang naively inquired, hoping Zuko was actually on to something.

"No!" Zuko sternly shouted, unbelieving that Aang had been taking him seriously.

Dropping his head Aang sighed, "This goes against everything I learned from the monks. I can't just go around wiping out people I don't like. . ."

Waving his hand dismissively, Sokka replied, "Sure, you can. You're the Avatar. If it's in the name of keeping balance, I'm pretty sure the Universe will forgive you."

Whirling around on Sokka, Aang shouts, "This isn't a joke, Sokka! None of you understands the position I'm in!"

"Aang, we do understand. It's just. . ." Katara trails off, unsure of how to finish.

"Just what, Katara? What?" Aang rudely interrupts.

"We're trying to help," Katara replies, annoyed at his attitude.

Aang had had enough. Whirling towards Katara, he blew up in up her face. "Then when you figure out a way for me to beat the Fire Lord without taking his life, I'd love to hear it!"

Despite the fact that she had just been yelled at, Katara's expression softened. "Aang, don't walk away from this."

Placing a hand on Katara's shoulder, Liling advised, "Let him go. He needs time to sort it out by himself."


	58. Chapter 58

**AN: Today I finally finished the story! With just a few chapters to go, I promise you guys that you will not be disappointed. The final fight scenes are awesome and there are some plot twists that I simply cannot wait to post. So enjoy the last few chapters and thank you all for staying with me through this incredible experience!**

* * *

 **Chapter 58: Good Old Days**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

By the next morning, everyone had gathered around Appa in preparation to take off.

Doing a final check of their belongings, Sokka announced, "Okay, that's everything."

"No, it's not," Toph calls, walking over to him. "Where's Aang?" Everyone exchanged nervous glances before running up the steps to the corridor and looking around.

"Aang? Aang!" Liling shouts as she and Zuko look in one section of the house.

"Come on lazy bones, let's go," Toph shouts down another.

Suki and Sokka head to the right of the corridor, Toph and Katara down the middle and Liling and Zuko head in the opposite direction. After a fruitless search, the group regrouped by the railing. Suddenly, they saw Aang's staff.

Reaching for the staff Sokka observes, "He left his staff. That's so strange."

"Aang's not in the house. Let's check the beach." Zuko turns his head towards the beach and heads for it, Liling tailing him. The rest of the group rushes to catch up with them.

"Look! There are his footprints." Sokka cries, looking at the footprints leading to the sea. "The trail ends here."

Scratching her chin Suki inquires, "So. . . He went for a midnight swim and never came back?"

"Maybe he was captured," Katara suggested nervously.

Shaking her head, Liling replied, "I don't think so. There's no sign of a struggle."

"I bet he ran away again," Toph replies, bending down to check out the footprints.

"No. He left behind his glider and Appa." Sokka pointed out, contradicting her suggestion.

Placing her hands on her hips, Toph sarcastically quipped, "Then what do you think happened to him oh sleuthy one?"

"It's pretty obvious," Sokka says in a know-it-all manner. "Aang mysteriously disappears before an important battle? He's definitely on a Spirit World journey."

"But if he was, wouldn't his body still be here?" Zuko asked, remembering the last time he saw Aang in the Spirit World.

Sokka slumped at the suggestion. "Oh yeah, forgot about that."

"Then he's gotta be somewhere on Ember Island. Let's split up and look for him." Katara suggests.

"I'm going with Liling and Zuko!" Toph says quickly as everyone turns to look at her. "What? Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with them. Now it's my turn." She tightens her grip on their arms.

With that, the group disperses in search of Aang. Appa is taken by Sokka, Suki, and Katara to check the nearby town while Liling, Toph, and Zuko search by land, choosing to investigate some beach houses.

"And then when I was nine, I ran away again." Toph finishes, having explained to Zuko and Liling her entire childhood.

"Uh-huh," Liling replies absentmindedly, more invested in her search for Aang than conversing with Toph.

"I know I shouldn't complain, my parents gave me everything that I ever asked for. But they never gave me the one thing that I really wanted. Their love. You know what I mean?" Toph asks, denoting her question specifically to Zuko since he could certainly empathize with unloving parents given his Father had roasted half of his face.

Hanging his head and sighing audibly, Zuko says, "Look, I know you had a rough childhood but we should really focus on finding Aang."

Looking disappointed Toph bitterly mumbles, "This is the worst field trip ever." She blows her fringe in irritation.

Shaking her head somberly, Liling calls out from ahead, "There's no sign of Aang. If he really left in the middle of the night, he left with no intention of being followed. Us searching the beach by land is not going to be effective in finding him, especially when he can fly or glide or whatever it is he does. We need to turn back and regroup with the others." With that assessment, the trio began making their way back to Ozai's beach house.

* * *

"Judging by the looks on your faces, I'm guessing you guys didn't find Aang either." Sokka observed as Liling, Zuko, and Toph approached him with despondent expressions.

"No. It's like he just... disappeared." Liling relayed, still frustrated that Aang would leave them this close to Sozin's comet and not tell them where he was going or for what purpose.

Her eyes widening in realization, Toph points out, "Hey, wait a minute, has anyone noticed that Momo's missing too?"

Hysterically whirling around towards Appa Sokka cries, "Oh no! I knew it was only a matter of time. Appa ate Momo! Momo, I'm coming for ya, buddy." Sokka climbs onto Appa's tongue and tries to crawl his way in as Katara approaches.

"Sokka, Appa didn't eat Momo. He's probably with Aang." Katara logically points out, used to Sokka's antics by now.

Turning around to look scrutinizingly at his sister Sokka replies, "That's just what Appa wants you to think." He climbs further in and Appa closes his mouth around Sokka's legs as they flail around.

"Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka. We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the comet is only two days away." Zuko snaps, sharing feelings of frustration with Liling.

"What should we do then?" Katara asks, looking from Liling to Zuko.

Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, Liling inquires, "I don't know. Why are you all looking at us?"

"Well, you two are kind of the expert on tracking Aang." Katara pointed out with a small, nostalgic frown.

Leaping to her feet excitedly, Toph adds, "Yeah, if anyone's got experience hunting the Avatar, it's you guys."

While neither of the firebending cousins particularly enjoyed being reminded of their past journey to capture the Avatar and bring him back to the Fire Nation to be imprisoned until his death, they couldn't argue that they were best suited for tracking him down.

"Everyone on Appa." Liling orders as she and Zuko take the reins.

* * *

"Uh, Liling, Zuko, I don't want to tell you guys how to do your job but why are we heading towards the Earth Kingdom? There's no way Aang's there." Sokka inquired, looking over the edge of the saddle, shivering at his memories of Ba Sing Se.

"Just trust us." Zuko reassuringly calls back from the front of Appa as they approach a small bar in the middle of a forested area.

Smiling because they had reached their destination, Liling landed Appa nearby before gracefully leaping off of him. She was soon joined by the others who anxiously looked around as Liling and Zuko led them inside.

"And the reason you brought us to a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern is what now?"

"June," Zuko replies simply, creating more confusion than answers amongst his friends. He raises his arm and points towards June. She is sitting dismissively and sipping her tea as a huge burly man lunges at her. She stops him with her leg and pushes him down effortlessly as the man groans. The crowd gasps and are stunned while Junes smirks at her success.

"Oh yeah," Sokka says, recognition setting in. "That weird bounty hunter with the giant mole."

Taken aback, Suki replies, "Mole? Her skin is flawless."

Waving his hands, Sokka clarifies, "No, she has this giant mole creature she rides around on."

"That still doesn't explain why we're here." Katara pointed out, crossing her arms.

"Her shirshu," Liling replied as they neared June. "It's the only animal that can track Aang's scent anywhere in the World. It's the one shot we have of finding him."

They stop and watch as a man tries to throw punches at June. It narrowly misses her teacup as she throws it up into the air. Angry and annoyed, June throws him over her shoulder when he lunges at her. The man lands on the table a second later, knocking off all the dishes on the table. June grabs her falling teacup without spilling any of its contents, turns away, and takes a triumphant sip.

"I don't know who this June lady is but," Toph crosses her arms and smiles widely in approval, "I like her."

As June kicks an empty seat into a comfortable position, sits down and takes a sip from her cup Sokka cries, "Hey, I remember her. She helped you attack us!"

"Yup," Zuko replies unabashed.

"Back in the good old days," Liling adds, nudging him as they walk over to June.

"Oh great," June sarcastically scoffs at their approach. "It's Prince Pouty and Princess Preachy. Where's your creepy grandpa?"

"He's my Father, he's not creepy and he's not here," Liling informed her icily.

Frowning at Liling, June's eyes flit from Zuko to Katara. "I see you worked things out with your girlfriend."

Both Zuko and Katara blush as they protest simultaneously against the accusation.

"I'm not his girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Okay, okay," June concedes, waving her hands in surrender. "I was only teasing. So what you want?"

"We need your help finding the Avatar. Again, that is." Liling replies steadily.

"Hmph. Doesn't sound too fun." June replies, taking a bored sip of her cup.

Stepping closer to June, Zuko has a slight outburst. "Does the end of the World sound like more fun?"

With a bored sigh, June swings her legs off the table, stands up, and makes to walk out the door. The group follows her outside as she brings her shirshu over towards where they stand. Lifting up a piece of meat and cajoling her shirshu, she tosses the meat to calm her down. "Nyla. . ." June affectionately strokes her shirshu, cooing, "Who's my little snuffly wuffly." Nyla suddenly shoots out her tongue and June steps back in slight alarm. "Whoa!" She gently presses down on Nyla's nose to close her mouth. "Careful there. Okay," she turns around then and gestures to the group. "Who's got something with the Avatar's scent on it."

"I have Aang's staff," Katara says, grabbing it out of the saddle.

June offers the staff in front of Nyla's snout as she sniffs it. Nyla proceeds to sniff and walk around the Gaang while the group follows her movements. Nyla makes one last round before walking back in front of June and lowering herself on the ground and rubbing her snout with her paws.

"Well, what does that mean?" Zuko demands, crossing his arms.

"It means your friend's gone," June replies, affectionately petting Nyla.

Sighing exasperatedly, Toph argues, "We know he's gone, that's why we're trying to find him."

Standing up, June elucidates, "No, I mean he's gone gone. He doesn't exist."

"What do you mean Aang doesn't exist? Do you mean he's. . ." Sokka trails off, afraid to finish the thought. "You know, dead?"

"Nope, we could find him if he were dead. Ah, it's a real head-scratcher." With that she leaps on top of Nyla, says, "See ya," and moves to ride off.

"Helpful, really helpful," Toph mumbled, crossing her arms.

Her eyes lighting up, Liling says suddenly, "Wait, I have another idea. There's only one other person in this World who can help us face the Fire Lord. I'll be right back with a smell sample." She quickly rushes to the saddle and rifles through her sack before finally fishing out a sandal.

A disgusted look on his face, Sokka cries,"You saved your Father's sweaty sandal?"

"I think it's kind of sweet." Toph contradicts him as Liling holds the sandal up to Nyla's nose.

"Let's do this," June says as Nyla's head perks up. She pulls on the reins and Nyla gallops into the forest.

"Hey, wait up!" Zuko shouts as the group proceeds to mount Appa as he lifts his tail up before soaring into the air.

After hours of running and flying, they near the walls of Ba Sing Se. "We're going to Ba Sing Se?" Liling asked, immediately sitting up. She did not have fond memories of her last time there.

"Your Father's somewhere beyond the wall. Nyla's getting twitchy so he can't be too far. Good luck." June pulls her reins and Nyla runs back the way they came.

Liling looks after the departing shirshu before turning back to the group. "It's been a long day. Let's camp and start our search again at dawn," she suggests much to everyone's relief and agreement. It had been a long day and if they wanted to find Iroh or Aang, they would need their rest.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59: Order of the White Lotus**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

After making camp the group quickly went to sleep, not bothering to even assign a lookout. They were too tired and too nervous to care whether or not anyone stumbled across their camp. However, their campsite was soon entrenched by a ring of fire. Everyone is awoken by this and quickly takes defensive positions against an attack. They turn their heads to see four people appearing at the top of the rubble in white and blue uniforms. Katara and Sokka smile in relief at the sight of Piandao, Jeong Jeong, Pakku and Bumi.

"Well, look who's here." Bumi snorts, throwing his arms wide in welcome.

Suki, Toph, Liling, and Zuko look at the Katara and Sokka, puzzled before staring at the four newcomers with raised brows.

"What's going on? We're surrounded by old people." Toph demands, trying to recognize any of the newcomers through her sonic ability.

"Not just any old people. These are great masters and friends of ours." Katara explains before stopping in front of Pakku and bowing.

Bowing in return he replies, "It is respectful to bow to an old master but how about a hug for your new grandfather?" He asks, holding his arms wide.

Katara exchanges a dumbfounded look with Sokka before exclaiming, "That's so exciting." She opens her arms and embraces Pakku before continuing. "You and Gran Gran must be so happy to have found each other again."

"I made her a new betrothal necklace and everything," Pakku explains, placing a hand lightly to his collar.

Sokka hugs Pakku around the neck, exclaiming, "Welcome to the family Great Gramp."

"You can still call me Pakku," Pakku replies slightly sternly, shifting Sokka off of him.

"How about Grand Pakku?" Sokka asks instead, grinning goofily.

Giving him a deadpan expression, Pakku steadily replies, "No."

Shaking her head, Katara begins introducing everyone else. "And this was Aang's first firebending teacher, Jeong Jeong."

The next man stepped forward but Sokka cut Katara off, bowing and reverentially saying, "Master Piandao."

Bowing in return, Piandao greets him, "Hello, Sokka."

"So wait, how do you all know each other?" Suki inquires, interrupting the reunions.

"All old people know each other don't you know that?" Bumi asks with a snort.

"We're all part of the same ancient secret society. A group that transcends the divisions of the four nations." Piandao explains.

Smiling with recognition, Liling adds, "The Order of the White Lotus."

"That's the one." Bumi acknowledges with a grin.

Jeong Jeong waited for Bumi to finishing laughing before explaining, "The White Lotus has always been about philosophy, and beauty and truth. About a month ago, a call went out that we were needed for something important."

"It came from a Grand Lotus, your Father," Pakku says, looking to Liling, "and your Uncle," he adds, looking at Zuko, "Iroh of the Fire Nation."

"Well, that's who we're looking for," Liling says earnestly, eagerly awaiting her reunion with Iroh.

"Then we'll take you to him," Piandao says, turning to walk into camp.

Pushing people aside by the shoulders, Bumi suddenly inquires, "Wait, someone's missing from your group. Someone very important. Where's Momo?"

"He's gone. And so is Aang." Sokka explained, lightly shoving Bumi out of his face.

"Oh well, so long as they have each other I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. Let's go." Bumi says with a shrug, patting Sokka on the shoulder before slamming his hand against the ground and earthbending a tall column of earth to propel himself over the gap in the outer wall, laughing maniacally at the same time.

Once everyone else had entered the walls of Ba Sing Se and regrouped in the camp, Sokka inquired of Bumi, "So Bumi, how did you end up escaping your imprisonment in Omashu?"

"Escape? I didn't escape, everybody else escaped." He throws his arms into the air as he explained, "There I was, back in Omashu, waiting for just the right moment. I didn't know what or when but I knew I'd know it when I knew it. When the eclipse came, it was the perfect time to take my city back."

Eyes widening in disbelief, Suki reverentially asks, "Wow, you took back your whole city all by yourself?"

Nodding, Bumi asks, "So what about you guys? Did you do anything interesting on the day of the eclipse?"

Liling and Zuko exchange a quick look but decide better than to go into the details of what happened that day.

"Nah."

"No, not really."


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60: Catching Up With Old Friends**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Well, here we are. Welcome to old people camp." Bumi exclaims as he leads them into the heart of the camp.

Looking around, neither Liling nor Zuko saw any sign of Iroh. "Where. . . where is he?" Liling asked curiously, desperately wanting to see her Father. It had been so long since they had last seen each other on the Day of Black Sun. And while she had been confident that nothing bad would happen to him, she was sick of not being able to see him.

"Your Father's in there, Princess Liling," Piandao explains with a soft smile, pointing in the direction of a tent.

Liling eagerly moved to approach the tent but stopped when she saw that Zuko was not following her. Turning around, she saw Zuko frozen to the spot, starring with disbelief and awkwardness at the tent that housed Iroh. She gestures for him to follow her and he does so after a moment before pausing outside the tent and sitting down. Sitting beside him and her face softening, Liling asks, "Are you okay?"

"No," Zuko honestly replies, turning his head away from Liling. "I'm definitely not okay. Despite what you've said, I know Uncle hates me, I know it. He loved me and supported me in every way he could and I still turned against him, I turned against you. How can I even face him?"

Gently grabbing his chin and moving his head so that his eyes met Liling's she inquired, "Zuko, you're sorry for what you did, right?"

"More sorry than I've been about anything in my entire life," he replied in earnest.

"Then he'll forgive you. I've forgiven you, so I know he will." Liling steadily promised him before smiling. "Afterall I learned how to readily and easily do so from the best. So go on in there first. Your reunion is long overdue."

Blinking in confusion, Zuko inquires, "Don't _you_ want to go in there and see your Father? You deserve to more than I do."

Waving her hand in a dismissive manner, Liling replies, "You need to go in there now while you still feel comfortable doing so. I know you've been struggling with what would happen the next time you saw Iroh face to face and now's your chance to find out. Besides, I've got plenty of time to catch up with him later. So go," With that, she gently shoved Zuko closer to the tent flap. While she was tempted to rush past him like there was no tomorrow and see her father, she knew Zuko needed to go now while he still felt the nerve to do so. If he waited any longer, his feelings of despair would take over and he wouldn't be able to confront Iroh.

Zuko turns his head back towards the tent and thinks for a while before standing up. Taking a deep breath, he pushes the curtains aside and steps in, disappearing from view.

Smiling to herself, Liling shuts her eyes and leans against the tent. She had a feeling she was going to be sitting out there for quite some time but she was fine with waiting. After all, Zuko and Iroh had much to talk about and she didn't want to spoil their reunion. And she was right; she could still talk to Iroh afterward and their reunion, while pleasant, was not nearly as urgent.

* * *

"Well? How did it go?" Liling inquires, standing up as Zuko emerges from Iroh's tent after almost an hour.

Tears still shining in his eyes, Zuko replies happily, "He forgave me just like you said he would. Despite everything I had done to him, done to you, he forgave me. I didn't deserve it, I probably never will, but he forgave me."

Throwing her arms around her cousin in a tight embrace, Liling cries, "I told you he would forgive you, Zuko, and I'm so glad he did."

After a moment, Zuko pulled out of the embrace and asked, "Don't you want to go see Uncle now? I've had my moment so it's time for you to have yours."

Nodding slightly and wiping away a stray tear from Zuko's face, Liling softly says, "Yeah, I should go see him." With one last hug, she let go of Zuko and entered Iroh's tent.

Pushing past the tent flap, her eyes roamed the lightly furnished room in search for her Father. It wasn't hard to find Iroh, considering how he practically threw himself at Liling the moment she entered his dwelling. She was quick to return the embrace, sobbing as she did so.

"It's been so long since we last saw each other," Liling sobbed after a moment, finally removing her head from his chest to look up at him. Despite their last encounter only being several weeks ago, Iroh had changed drastically. Not there had ever been anything wrong with his appearance before, but now he was in much greater shape. Liling took note of how his robe, which used to fit so snugly, was now barely hanging onto his thin yet muscular frame. He also had lost some of his cheerful demeanor. While he was ecstatic to see his daughter, his smile didn't reach his eyes the way they had used to. Mourning the time they had lost together but happy nonetheless that she was back with him again she murmurs, "So much has changed."

Blinking back tears and smiling down at her Iroh replies, "I know. I've missed you, too. I'm just so glad you're safe." His daughter had changed nearly as much as he had. Her face had hallowed out, her bones more sharply defined from both more rigorous training and a lack of food. The golden eyes that had once contained so much joy were now a darker shade, having lost their metallic sheen and were now haunted by what they had witnessed. He hated not being able to have been with her but there had been nothing he could have done to prevent this.

"As am I. I was worried you might have been caught when escaping from the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun," Liling admitted, wiping away her tears that refused to quit falling.

"You were worried about me?" Iroh lightly laughed then. "I was with many other bending masters, not to mention dozens of other capable fighters. If anybody was worried, it was me worrying about you. Every moment you spent with Azula or the Avatar were dangerous for their own reasons. Not that you're not capable of defending yourself, but it was very worrying to not be by your side." Iroh admitted, lowering his head as his eyes glistened with fresh tears. With that, the two exchanged another hug before pulling apart after a moment. "How did you even find me?" Iroh asked her with a small smile, knowing Liling would have gone to the ends of the earth to accomplish anything she set her mind to.

Shrugging in response, Liling informed him, "It was a team effort. Who I've brought with me is just the Avatar's friends. Aang is missing or else he'd be here, too."

Iroh blinked happily before inquiring, "You've brought the _Avatar's_ friends? How?"

"It's a long story," Liling replied, scratching the back of her neck and offering a sheepish grin.

"I've got time," Iroh replied quickly.

Laughing lightly, she replies, "It sounds like you've got quite the story to tell yourself, Iroh. The guards of the Fire Nation palace are calling you a 'one-man army' after you single-handedly escaped from your cell without your firebending. That's got to be quite a tale."

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," Iroh suggested, stretching hugely.

Cracking a grin, Liling replies, "Sounds like a plan, but first let's put on a pot of tea. It appears that we're going to be in here for a while after all and I've gone too long now without having had a proper cup. May I suggest a cup of white jasmine?"

"You have excellent taste. I'm already on it," Iroh says with a smirk, pulling out tea bags as Liling starts a small fire. There was no better way to celebrate their reunion.


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61: War Plans**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

The White Lotus camp and guests were enjoying a lively, yet rushed, breakfast. Given that Sozin's comet was about to fly across the sky, preparations needed to be made quickly lest the Fire Nation be on their doorstep. Within a matter of hours, the battle of the ages would ensue; the balance of the Four Nations resting in the final verdict. Whether the world would live or burn would shortly be determined. At least, that was on the forefront of Zuko's mind. He had been pestering Iroh about bringing the fight to Fire Lord Ozai all morning. "Uncle, you're the only person other than the Avatar who can possibly defeat the Father Lord," he points out not for the first time.

"You mean the Fire Lord." Liling corrected him thoughtfully, pointing her chopsticks at Zuko before fishing out another bite of rice. While she was also concerned about defeating her Uncle and saving the world, she was more presently worried about defeating her hunger. Iroh had always taught her that you had to take care of yourself before you could take care of others. If you didn't, you would just create a bigger mess for everyone involved. Besides, it was never a good idea to bend on an empty stomach.

"That's what I just said," he says quickly as Liling resumes eating. He had greater things to worry about than whether he had mispronounced his father's title.

"Hmm. . ." Iroh trails off in thought, looking from his daughter to his nephew.

"We need you to come with us." Zuko continues to argue imploringly. After all, he had been through, he couldn't bare the thought of separating from his Uncle again.

"No, Zuko. It won't turn out well." Iroh says with a heavy sigh, lowering his chopsticks from his mouth and closing his eyes. He had done his best to put off this conversation but knew there would be no deterring of Zuko this time.

"You can beat him and we'll be there to help." Zuko contradicted him confidently, begging him to change his mind. He saw no chance of them winning this without Iroh directly engaging Ozai in battle.

Adjusting his seating position, Iroh explained he could not do so. "Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know that I even could, it will be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord."

"And then. . . then would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko asked him hopefully, not wanting to think of the alternative.

"No." Iroh steadily shook his head. "Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor. It has to be you, Prince Zuko." Iroh says, his eyes locking onto Zuko's and giving him a pointed look

Looking at his Uncle in disbelief, Zuko questions his idea. "Unquestionable honor? But I've made _so_ many mistakes."

Shaking her head, Liling retorted, "While that's true, Zuko, you have also done so much good, you _chose_ good and that's all that matters."

"You struggled, you suffered but you have always followed your own path, you restored your own honor. And only _you_ can restore the honor of the Fire Nation." Iroh confided in him, placing an affectionate hand on his nephew's shoulder.

Looking from the hand to Iroh's face, Zuko earnestly promised, "I'll try, Uncle."

"Well, what if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph suddenly pointed out, pulling the two out of the moment they were having.

Pensively, Iroh replied, "Sozin's Comet is arriving and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord. When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it back from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free again."

"That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus," Suki observed, mentally connecting the dots.

"Yes," Iroh replied, before turning towards his nephew. "Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there, waiting for you."

"I can handle Azula." Zuko confidently remarked.

Shaking his head, Iroh replied, "Not alone. You'll need help." At that, he gives Liling a pointed look.

"You're right," Zuko says, following Iroh's gaze and looking at Liling as well. "Would you like to help me defeat your beloved cousin?"

Liling smirked slightly before replying, "Nothing would give me greater pleasure. Especially after everything she's done and everyone she's hurt." Her thoughts involuntarily drifted towards Mai and Ty Lee, both of whom she hadn't heard from since their betrayal at the Boiling Rock. Knowing Azula, something truly terrible had been done to them which made it all the more urgent in Liling's mind for her to defeat her cousin.

Nodding, Zuko then turned to Katara and asked, "Katara, how would you like to help us put Azula in her place?"

"It would be my pleasure," she replies with a smile.

"What about us? What's our destiny today?" Sokka asked, denoting to himself, Suki, and Toph before looking at Iroh imploringly.

Quirking an eyebrow, Iroh asked, "What do you think it is?"

Sokka places his hand on his chin in thought. "I think that. . . even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet."

"And that means when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we'll be right there if he needs us," Toph added, slamming her fist into her open palm as everyone else disperses, preparing for their attack.

* * *

Zuko, Liling, and Katara gather around Appa. Without Aang, the flying bison was up for grabs for anyone who wanted to borrow him, and they would definitely need him to get from Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation capital.

Iroh stood by Appa's head, sending off his daughter and nephew. "So if I'm going to be Fire Lord after the war is over, what are you going to do?" Zuko asked him.

"After I reconquer Ba Sing Se, I'm going to reconquer my tea shop and I'm going to play Pai Sho and drink tea every day," Iroh answers with a large grin, taking out a lotus tile and flipping it in the air.

"And you? What will you be doing?" Zuko asks, looking to Liling.

"Whatever the rightful Fire Lord believes would be the most useful occupation for me to fulfill," Liling replies measuredly, smiling at Zuko. She wanted to be involved in running her nation, especially after the century of war it had just endured. Zuko would be needing advisors and if Iroh was planning on staying in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se to run his tea shop, then it was up to Liling to ensure Zuko had the help he would need to pull their country out of the pit it had dug for itself and to advance the Fire Nation the correct way.

With a reassured smile, Zuko replies, "Then you had better get attached to the palace after we take down Azula because I want you as my advisor. I can't rule the Fire Nation alone and I'm going to need your help."

Happy to have heard him say that, Liling says, "I'm glad to be of assistance." She watched as Katara and Zuko boarded Appa before turning to Iroh who was standing off to the side, looking at nothing in particular. He is suddenly taken aback when Liling wraps her arms around him, enveloping him in a tight hug. Iroh is quick to hug her back.

"Be careful," she orders him, leaning her head against his chest. "Promise me you'll be careful."

"After everything we've been through? Retaking Ba Sing Se will be easy. I'm not the one who has to battle Azula." Iroh points out with a light laugh, still hugging Liling tighter. "Besides," he adds lightly, "I'll be with an army of elite old people. What could go wrong?"

"I love you, Iroh," she says, a stray tear emitting from the corner of her eye.

"I love you, too, Liling," he replies softly.

After a moment, Liling slips from her father's hug before jumping into Appa's saddle beside Katara as Zuko prepares the reigns.

"Goodbye, General Iroh," Katara calls with a wave.

"Goodbye, everyone. Today, destiny is our friend. I know it." Iroh says with a smile, closing his eyes and clasping his hands in front of him as Appa takes off and the group disperses.


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62: The Final Showdown**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

As they neared the Fire Nation's palace, Liling placed a soothing hand on her cousin's shoulder and said encouragingly, "Zuko, don't worry, we can take Azula."

"I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about Aang. What if he doesn't have the guts to take out my Father? What if he loses?" Zuko asked anxiously, his grip on the reins tightening to the point where his knuckles began turning white.

"Aang won't lose. He's gonna come back. He has to." Katara said fiercely, fingering the pouch that held her bending water anxiously.

* * *

They arrive at the ceremonial plaza at the palace where the Fire Lord is traditionally coronated to see Azula kneeling at the top of the plaza steps, wearing the ceremonial Fire Lord robes on top of her usual armor. Behind her are several fire sages, leading the coronation. The leader of the sages holds the Fire Lord diadem above Azula's head, saying, "By decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Fire Lord…" the sage trails off suddenly, at the sight of a giant flying bison.

"What are you waiting for? Do it!" Azula shouts furiously, unaware of the new arrivals.

Appa roars as he lands in the courtyard, gaining Azula's full attention. From the saddle, Zuko shouts, "Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today." He jumps off of Appa before adding, "I am."

"You're hilarious." his sister replies, laughing.

"And you're going down." Liling retorts, moving to stand by Zuko.

"Making this a family affair, are we?" Azula notes sourly as Katara jumps out of the saddle as well.

"You're just that special," Liling remarked, crossing her arms.

"Prepare to be defeated!" Katara added, moving to stand by the firebending cousins.

The fire sage moves to crown Azula and continue the ceremony, but she raises her hand, signaling him to stop."Wait. You want to be Fire Lord, fine." she says, looking directly at Zuko. "Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!"

"You're on," Zuko replied quickly, clenching his fists.

Liling turns to Zuko, surprise coloring her complexion as Azula's lips curl into a sinister smile. "What are you doing? She's baiting you. She knows she can't take us both, let alone all three of us, so she is trying to separate us."

"I know," Zuko says, resigned. "But I can take her this time."

"But even you admitted to your Uncle that you would need help facing Azula." Katara cut in, waving her arms for emphasis.

"There's something off about her, I can't explain it but she's slipping. And this way, no one else has to get hurt." Zuko explained, dismissing the both of them.

Zuko moves to the far side of the courtyard, kneeling, as Liling guides Katara out of the way of the fight, ready to deflect any fire or lightning that came their way. Azula's smirk deepens as the fire sages depart. She removes her ceremonial robes, revealing her usual armor, and kneels herself. Zuko rises suddenly and turns around to face her. Azula rises in response, saying in a mock mournful tone, "I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother."

"No, you're not," Zuko replies, leaning into a firebending stance.

Azula smiles and assumes a more awkward stance. She then spins and thrusts her palm out, shooting a blast of blue fire at Zuko. Zuko brings his hands up, jumps forward, and brings his arms down in front of him, bending two waves of fire in each hand that comes together and shoots forward. The blue and orange flames collide into a wall of fire. As the flames dissipate, Azula leaps forward on a jet of fire and kicks forward, shooting a blast of fire. She performs three spinning kicks, sending out a wave of fire towards Zuko each time. Zuko punches forward, releasing a powerful stream of fire. It collides with a stream of blue fire from Azula, and both attacks push against each other for a moment before slipping to one side. He continues his blast of fire while keeping the enormous blue flames on his other side at bay, slowly sliding backward. Zuko pivots his foot so as to strengthen his stance and keep himself steady, fire streaming from the end of his fist.

Both Azula and Zuko stop their attacks. Azula looks back at the plaza behind her, which has caught on fire from Zuko's attack. She turns back to Zuko. Angry and scared, she charges forward and leaps upward on a blast of fire, which she swings down at Zuko. Just before the attack hits, Zuko spins his body in a circle and thrusts his palms out to the sides, creating a wall of flame that splits the blue fire in half.

Azula, scared and panting heavily, grits her teeth and narrows her eyes in determination. Zuko opens his fist and punches forward with his other fist, two immense fireballs launching towards Azula, spiraling and intertwining to create one massive fireball. Azula's eyes grow wide with fear and are tinted orange from the approaching blast. She dodges to the right on a jet of blue fire, just narrowly avoiding the fireball.

Azula thrusts herself forward while in the air, rocketing over the ground on jets of fire from her hands and feet. She punches forward twice, launching two huge blue fire blasts. Zuko places his hands near the ground and shoots a blast of fire, thrusting himself into the air and avoiding one of Azula's attacks. Zuko spins around in mid-air and swings his heel downward, which creates an arc of flame that blocks the second fire blast. As Zuko falls back down, he swings his arms down, creating a blast of fire that destroys a third blue blast of fire.

Zuko, crouching, his arms extended forward and blue and orange flames surrounding him. Azula flies forward over the ground. She banks to the right, avoiding Zuko's last fire blast and shoots a blast of fire at Zuko and begins to circle him, followed behind by an enormous trail of blue fire left from the streams of fire propelling her. Zuko defends himself by creating a large sphere of fire around him. He then tries to attack Azula with blasts of fire as she circles him, but she is too fast. He stops shooting fire blasts at Azula, crouches on the ground, and performs several spinning sweep kicks, creating a powerful ring of fire that expands outward. Azula flies forward and tries to stop herself and attempts to block Zuko's attack with a shield of blue fire, but she is too late and it connects. Azula falls forward and rolls across the ground due to her own momentum, gasping in pain. After a beat, she picks herself up, breathing heavily. Her hair has come undone, and she stares at Zuko with anger and contempt, baring her teeth.

"No lightning, today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?" Zuko taunts her, ready to finish the Agni Kai once and for all. Zuko enters a stance and thrusts his palm forward to emphasize his words, gesturing that she comes at him.

"Oh, _I'LL SHOW YOU LIGHTNING!_ " she screams in blind fury. Azula proceeds to wave her fingertips around in arcs to generate the lightning, but her motions are far more dramatic and irregular than usual. Zuko breathes in and out deeply as enters his stance and extends his palms out to receive the lightning. The air around Azula flickers as her lightning charges. She finishes her motions and poises herself. Azula smirked briefly and then extends her arm and fingertip to the left of Zuko, releasing the lighting in Katara's direction.

Before Liling can push her out of the way, Zuko leaps between them and the lightning. "No!" he shouts, extending his finger out and absorbing the lightning mid-leap. There is a blinding flash of light as Zuko twitches in mid-air, absorbing the lightning coming from Azula, electricity surrounding the area. He hits the ground, letting the lightning escape from his other arm. The enormous bolt of redirected lightning erupts into the sky above. Zuko lays on the ground, twitching as electricity surges through his body. He groans as he rolls onto his back, holding his chest in pain.


	63. Chapter 63

**AN: The wait is finally over. With half of the final battle already over, ya'll will finally get to see Liling fight Azula. I had so much fun writing this chapter and finding the perfect way to describe how the two would fight one another. I'm so excited for ya'll to read this so without further ado, here's chapter 63!**

* * *

 **Chapter 63: An Agni Kai for the Ages**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

* * *

"Zuko!" Liling screams in agony, rushing forward towards her downed cousin.

The clothing around Zuko's chest has been burned away by the lightning, and a scar has been left on his skin. Liling runs toward Zuko, but she is stopped by another lightning bolt that strikes the ground between them. Azula, hunched over and swaying from side to side, begins to laugh maniacally, and then she rushes towards her cousin.

Liling grits her teeth and shouts, "You're not the only one who knows how to manipulate lightning, cousin!" She whips her arm through the air and sends a blast of lightning towards Azula. Taking her cousin's distraction into consideration, Liling turns to Katara and shouts, "I'll hold her off, just heal him!"

Katara nods and propels herself to Zuko, uncorking her waterbending pouch.

Once Liling affirms that Katara is heeding her advice, she turns back towards Azula, looking at her just in time to shield herself from Azula's flames. The fire clears to reveal Azula laughing hysterically and jumping into the air, charging up with lightning.

Zuko attempts to get up and stretches his arms out helplessly. Katara pushes him down and drags him to the edge of the courtyard as to better heal him and shield them both from the continued duel.

Innerly praising Katara for moving Zuko out of the danger zone, Liling bobbed and weaved out of dodge, narrowly missing Azula's lightning with her every movement. One comes especially close so she somersaults away from the impact. She turns back as Azula firebends herself onto the roof. "I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zuzu if you don't mind!" Azula shouts down to Liling, moving to go past her and attack Katara, too absorbed in her healing to notice anything wrong.

"I do mind, actually," Liling replies, wrapping both her hands around Azula's ankle, pulling her out of the air, and using her own momentum to send her in the opposite direction of Katara and Zuko. Azula shakes her head to clear it and sends a powerful bolt of lightning towards her. Liling moved to dodge it but realized if she did, the lightning would collide with Katara. Pulling out of her crouch, Liling purposefully absorbed the lightning, sent it through her stomach, and rerouted it back towards Azula. Azula, as she sends two blasts of fire with her hands, shields herself from Liling's counterattack. Liling flips backward, ducking behind a pillar, narrowly missing Azula's latest fireball. Another fire blast hits the pillar and Liling cringes before sending a blast at Azula. She neatly dodges the blast and jumps towards Liling. Before she can be pounced upon, Liling blasts the supporting beam to pieces and jumps away, allowing the roof to collapse on top of Azula. Realizing too late what's happening, Azula screams in fury as the roof falls on her head. Her chest heaving, Liling surveys the wreckage. While she had won, it was a bittersweet victory. She had never wanted to kill her cousin, but rather simply incapacitate her long enough to be imprisoned. Liling moved to turn towards Katara and Zuko when the wreckage shifted. Lowering into her fighting stance, Liling watched as Azula pushed aside the wreckage and shakily clambered to her feet.

"Did you really think a little roof falling on me could possibly stop _me_?" Azula laughed hysterically, lightning sizzling from her fingertips. She charges up with lightning and sends out another bolt towards Liling. Liling redirects the lighting into the air before spinning around and sending identical blasts of blue fire towards Azula, the flames curling and twisting together, forming one massive blast. Azula moves to shield herself from the blast. With a look of determination Liling sends fireball after fireball behind the blast, ensuring that even if Azula managed to dodge one, she couldn't possibly dodge them all. Azula levitates out of the way with her powerful firebending jets shooting out of her feet.

Liling prepares to shield herself from an aerial attack but is surprised to see Azula pass her by and shoot off towards Zuko and Katara. Groaning frustratedly, Liling chases after Azula, sending massive fireballs towards her cousin, attempting to down her mid-flight. Fortuitously enough, she succeeds, managing to knock Azula down. Liling pauses, aiming a hand at Azula, ready to strike the second she attempted to stand up. Seeming to sense this, Azula rolls onto her back and flips forward, sending a wave of fire from her feet towards Liling. Liling cartwheels out of the way just in time, sweeping Azula's freshly landed legs out from under her. Azula makes a grab for Liling but she dashes behind a pillar, subsequently causing Azula to grab nothing more than empty air. Growling, Azula chases her cousin, her hand grabbing the pillar Liling had escaped behind.

Azula's eyes narrow with hate as she approaches Liling. She sends streams of fire towards Azula who dodges them and rolls across the drain that lies between them. Liling walks closer to Azula while Azula attempts to stand up. "It's not too late to give up, Azula! You still have the opportunity to redeem yourself. Please, stop fighting and come with us, I'm begging you!" Liling pleaded as she warily approached her cousin.

Chortling, Azula replies, "We both know it's too late for that, Liling! The day you abandoned the Fire Nation was the day you severed what little loyalty to me your traitorous body possessed. You could care less what happens to me so long as you win. You're not the first person to attempt to betray me but you _will_ be the last. Soon you and Zuzu and that little Water Tribe peasant will join Mai and Ty Lee subjugated to the harshest form of torture the Fire Nation has to offer. After all, that's what happens when you betray your Fire Lord!"

Slowly spreading her arms to convey that she meant no harm, Liling cried, "That's not true! I'm not trying to betray you, I'm trying to save you. When I left the Fire Nation on the day of Black Sun it wasn't out of betrayal, it was out of loyalty to Iroh and Zuko! But now I'm trying to show my loyalty to you by offering you a chance that no one else is going to give you. Azula, you're my cousin, we're family. I'm trying to protect you because I _love_ you so please stop this madness and join us; join me!"

At the word 'love', Azula's face contorted between animalistic fury and confusion. Her fingers were still crackling with lightning, but she made no move to thrust them towards Liling, who still had her arms held up in mock-surrender. They stared, facing one another, neither making a move to attack and continue the battle, yet refusing to lower their defenses.

Her hands shaking slightly, Azula's voice quivers as she inquires, "Join you? You betrayed your nation; you betrayed me! You've gone against everything we've been taught since we were children because of your blind admiration for people you shouldn't be loyal to."

Shaking her head, Liling replies, "We weren't taught anything. We were brainwashed into believing the Fire Nation was the greatest nation of the four and that we should spread that greatness with the other three. But I've learned that's not greatness we've been spreading; it was fear. The other nations don't love us, they hate us, and we deserve it. Now I'm trying to rectify that wrong and it's not too late for you to join me. There's good in you Azula, there always has been, and it's not too late for that good to show itself, for you to join the right side."

Blinking back tears, Azula savagely points out, "This is just a setup! You're going to betray me like Mai and Ty Lee; like Li and Lo; like the Dai Li; like my own mother. No one in my life ever stays with me. Why should you be the first?"

"Because I know what it's like to lose people you care about. Both my brother and mother are dead and I'm never going to see them again! I don't want to lose any more of my family, yourself included. So Azula, please join me. Come with me, Zuko, and Katara and let's end this war; together." With that, Liling slowly extended her hand forward, wanting Azula to recognize the gesture as one of peace, not violence.

Glancing from Liling's face to her extended arm, Azula suddenly jets her arm to the side, sending a lightning bolt straight into the air, nowhere near Liling, Zuko, or Katara. After doing that, she placed her hand in Liling's before squeezing tight.

"You won't regret this, I promise," Liling swore to her before wrapping an arm around her cousin.

Having persuaded Azula to join them rather than fighting them to the death, the two girls rush back over to Zuko. "Is he healed?" Liling asked, staring at the unconscious body of her other cousin.

"I healed him as best as I could with the time I had to do it in," Katara admitted modestly, shooting a concerned look towards Azula.

"Then I'd say you did an amazing job." a hushed voice whispered. All three girls stared down in shock at Zuko. His eyes opened slowly as he whispered weakly, "Thank you, both of you."

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," Katara replied, tears welling up in her eyes as she smiled gratefully. "And you, too, Liling. You stopped Azula!"

Sparing Azula a quick glance, Liling corrects Katara's previous statement. "I didn't stop her, I just. . . led her down the right path."

"You do seem to have a knack for doing just that," Zuko added as he moved to stand up. He turned towards Azula then and continues, "I'm glad you're with us, Azula."

Crossing her arms, Azula's eyes roamed from face to face until finally, she allowed herself to produce a small smile. "So am I, Zu-Zu." She may have given up and joined the right side, but that nickname was never going to die if she could help it.


	64. Chapter 64

**AN: With only one chapter left of "White Jasmine" this fanfic is almost over! I cannot believe what a privilege is has been writing this story for you all. Thank you to everyone who stuck with along the way! On that note, everyone please go to my profile page and check out my poll for future fanfic ideas. I've had a story request given to me and I'm interested to see if y'all would be willing to read it or not so please vote! Hope y'all enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 64: After the War**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

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A crowd has gathered in front of the coronation platform, which still hadn't been fully repaired since Liling, Zuko, and Katara's Agni Kai with Azula the previous day. However, the damage is not enough to stop citizens of the Fire Nation, as well as people from the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes, from coming to the coronation of the new Fire Lord. It was a day of celebration; the end of the war. People could finally be reunited with their families and could restart their lives without suffering from the fear of being torn apart or subjugated to more torment. With the Hundred Year War officially over, the signal for a fresh start for everyone was lit.

Liling was talking with Azula, Katara, and Sokka about their most recent battles. It had been a bit of a shock to everyone when Liling had revealed exactly how the Agni Kai had ended, but with Katara and Zuko's added testimony to Azula's changed behavior, they had come to accept that she was truly changed.

A moment later, several Kyoshi warriors emerge from the massive group of people milling around. Sokka wrapped his arms around Suki and picked her up, hugging her close. "There's my favorite warriors. I have to admit, I kind of missed the face paint. How does it feel to be back in uniform again?"

"It feels great!" a familiar and overly optimistic voice exclaims. Ty Lee appears, bounding over to Liling and throwing her arms around her in a tight hug. "It's so great to see you again!"

Tears streaming down her face, Liling embraced her friend tightly. The first thing she had done after bringing Azula over to the right side was make her free Ty Lee and Mai from prison. While it was fortunate they had ended up in the Boiling Rock, over which Mai's uncle was the warden, it was still heart wrenching for her upon seeing her two dearest friends there. While Azula appeared slightly embarrassed and awkwardly stood off to the side while Liling happily embraced Mai and Ty Lee, eventually she was sucked into the group hug as well.

Still overjoyed that the war was over and her friends were free, Liling cries, "It's fantastic to see you, too, Ty Lee! I was so worried about what Azula had done to you and Mai in between now and when I last saw you at the Boiling Rock. To think you and Mai were taken prisoner because you saved mine and Zuko's lives. . ." She trailed off, the thought being too horrible for her to finish aloud.

Not enjoying the sight or sound of her friend crying, Ty Lee chided, "Both Mai and I are fine. Do you really think the warden would follow Azula's instructions to torture his own niece? We had a great time actually. If anything, I just can't believe that you were actually able to convince Azula to finally join you."

Liling gave her a quizzical look as they pull apart before donning a relieved smile. "I'm so glad to hear you say that. And it wasn't exactly as difficult as I thought it would be." She embraced her again, the tears of sadness were replaced by tears of joy.

Sokka's face is painted with shock as he moves to stand protectively in front of Suki. Pointing a menacing finger towards Ty Lee, he cautions, "Careful Suki! Ty Lee is pretending to be a Kyoshi Warrior again."

"It's ok. She's one of us now." Suki explains as Sokka points to Ty Lee speechlessly before pointing back to Suki, unable to verbally express his feelings towards the news.

"Yeah, the girls and I really bonded in prison. And after a few Chi blocking lessons, they said I could join their group." Ty Lee explains, placing her arms around two of her fellow Kyoshi warriors shoulders. "We're going to be best friends forever."

Pulling Ty Lee away from the Kyoshi warriors, Liling inquires, "But where's Mai? Wasn't she imprisoned with you?"

With an eye roll, Ty Lee informs her, "She had to go see Zuko and told me if the coronation started before she joined us to tell you that she missed you, too."

Linking her arm with Ty Lee's, Liling shakes her head before laughing. "Of course she did. I'm just glad those two are back together. They were always my favorite couple. It's nice to see that not even a nation wide war could keep them apart for very long."

Nodding in agreement, Ty Lee suddenly suggests, "Now that the War is over and you're no longer needed by the Avatar to stop the Fire Lord, you should join and the other Kyoshi warriors! Sure none of the other girls are benders and it would be a new fighting style for you to learn, but it would still be fun to have you around and I know you'd enjoy it!"

With a sheepish grin, Liling replies, "I appreciate the offer Ty Lee but Zuko beat you to it. He already offered me a position as his advisor and I accepted. After all, I have been giving him rather decent advice for the past four years. I might as well make a career out of it and start getting paid to do so." She paused for a moment, wrapping her arms around Ty Lee's upper arm, continuing, "But that doesn't mean we can't still hang out from time to time. And if you ever want to do something else apart from being a Kyoshi warrior, I'm sure I could get you a job at the palace."

Ty Lee opened her mouth to reply but quieted down along with the rest of the people on the courtyard as Zuko emerges onto the raised, and only slightly dilapidated platform. He surveys the various groups before him: swamp benders, earth benders, Water Tribe warriors and Fire Nation citizens before smiling to himself at seeing them all gathered together, united as one. Despite their cultural differences, they all lavishly bow at the sight of Zuko, who waves his hand dismissively and says, "Please, the real hero is the Avatar." Everyone in attendance claps for Aang, looking around to see if he is anywhere to be found. Zuko spots him in the crowd and gives him a slight bow before continuing, "Today, this war is finally over. I promised my Uncle and cousin that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation, and I will. The road ahead of us is going to be challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But if we all work together, with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path, and begin a new era of love and peace; an era without war."

At the end of the speech, the Fire Sage holding the Fire Lord diadem approaches. As he does so, Zuko kneels down, allowing the diadem to be placed on his head as the sage shouts, "All hail Fire Lord Zuko!"

The crowd cheers and Zuko lifts his head up as the Fire Sage dismisses himself, keeping his head bowed. Zuko stands up and walks towards the platform's edge, gesturing for Aang to join him. After a moment's reluctance of being cast in the spotlight, Aang jumps onto the stage and they pose at the top of the steps. The duo looks briefly at one another before returning their direction yet again towards the crowd, who looks at them with fierce admiration and loyalty. The war was over, the Fire Nation once again ruled by sensible, peaceful people, the rest of the world no longer terrorized, and the Avatar is alive and well, the bridge the world so desperately needed to be returned.

All was well.


	65. Chapter 65

**Epilogue**

Disclaimer: Sadly I own nothing except my OC. That amazing right belongs to the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender, whom I am not.

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After the coronation of the now Fire Lord Zuko, the group found themselves in Iroh's tea shop in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se. Iroh plays the tsungi horn as the teen heroes hang around. Toph sits her feet on the table in her new Earth Kingdom soldier outfit as she accepts a cup of tea from Zuko who goes around serving tea to everyone on a tray. Aang sits in front of the table manipulating a ball of air up and down as Momo tries to grab it. Sokka huddles over a piece of parchment, a calligraphy brush gripped tightly in his fingers while Liling and Suki play a game of Pai Sho, Katara, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee watching the two with rapt attention. Zuko walks towards the game table and Liling appreciatively picks up a teacup from the tray.

"Zuko, stop moving!" Sokka suddenly exclaims as Katara, Mai, Ty Lee, Liling, Suki and Zuko look towards him in surprise. "I'm trying to capture the moment. I wanted to do a painting, so we always remember the good times together."

"That's very thoughtful of you Sokka," Katara says kindly. She looks down at the painting and her expression changes into a deadpanned look. "Wait! Why did you give me Momo's ears?"

"Those are your hair loopies." Sokka retorts as though it were obvious.

Everyone suddenly flocks around the drawing, checking to see how accurately they have been portrayed. "At least you don't look like a boarcupine. My hair's not that spiky!" Zuko retorts in mock offense.

"I look like a man," Mai adds in a bleak tone.

Ty Lee stares scrutinizingly down at the painting before pointing out, "When I stand on my hands in real life, I don't gain an extra arm."

"That's your braid!" Sokka cried, defending his masterpiece.

Snatching the painting from her, Liling stares down at her own caricature and adds, "And I don't have airbending tattoos. Unless you decided to draw Aang twice?"

"Those aren't tattoos. Those are lightning bolts!" Sokka corrected her in a whiny tone.

Sticking her tongue out at the painting, Azula demands, "And why am I waterbending? Last time I checked, I was a firebender."

Scowling, Sokka corrects her fiercely, "That's not water, it's your blue fire! I thought it would look cooler if I drew it in waves."

"And why did you paint me firebending?" Suki inquired, crossing her arms.

"I thought it looked more exciting that way," Sokka replied, rushing to his own defense.

"Hey," Iroh interjected, pointing at the painting, "My belly's not that big anymore. I've really trimmed down."

"Well, I think you all look perfect!" Toph exclaims positively, a grin on her face.

Everyone laughs at that, the tense moment broken. "It really is a nice painting, Sokka," Iroh says before suggesting, "I'll even hang it up on the wall if you like."

"You want to attract customers, not lose them," Katara replies in a teasing tone, playfully nudging her brother in the ribs as he frowns at her.

This generates further laughter from the group as everyone crowds together to admire the painting. Their troubles over, they begin to revert back to their previous activities before Sokka had presented them with his masterpiece, carefree and nonchalantly awaiting whatever the future held in store for them.

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 **The End! I hope you all enjoyed!**

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 **AN: Ok, real talk y'all. I cannot believe 'White Jasmine' is finally over. It honestly feels like a piece of me is missing that I will never truly be able to replace. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this fanfic. As a writer, it's fulfilling to know that people are invested in your work and get excited whenever a new chapter is posted and I'm lucky enough to have that be the case with this fic. I've already begun working on the sequel, "Rose Jasmine", so be sure to look out for it because I will be posting it soon! Also don't forget to check out the poll on my profile page. Thanks again for sticking with me for over a year! Love all of y'all!**


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